Health Beat: Inspire Device Brings Life-Changing Sleep | Health beat and life lessons

BALTIMORE, Md. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Sleep apnea — stopping or difficulty breathing during sleep — is a serious condition that can lead to heart disease and even lung damage. CPAP machines are commonly prescribed to maintain continuous airflow, but they are bulky, noisy, and claustrophobic. But now there’s a tiny implantable device placed in the chest and, according to some users, it’s been a lifesaver.

Roger Schwalm is one of six million people who every night strap on a mask, hang on to a big hose, hang on to a big CPAP, a machine just to breathe while they sleep.

“It only allows me to sleep well, in most cases maybe three or four hours a night, and then it gets so painful I have to take it off,” Roger told Ivanhoe.

CPAP non-compliance is a huge problem. The causes are many – claustrophobia, noise, whistling at 3 a.m.

“It was just boring and it was like, sometimes, I just wanted to throw it across the room,” recalls Linda, Roger’s wife.

When patients don’t use their CPAP, apnea can lead to pulmonary hypertension, decreased concentration, fatigue, and even non-alcoholic liver disease. So, some users are trying an implantable device called Inspire for an alternative treatment.

“What the Inspire has done for people is it frees them from being stuck in bed. Basically, there’s a battery, or power supply, that’s implanted between the second and the third rib on the right side of the chest,” says Joshua Dunklebarger, MD, otolaryngologist and head and neck surgeon at WellSpan Health.

Two attached wires – one in the chest and one in the neck – detect and trigger the respiratory response. Once implanted, the device remains in place for 12 years before the battery is replaced. A remote control controls the small device which has a huge return on investment, according to Linda.

“I just sleep, and it’s just amazing to me. The change in my life,” exclaims Linda.

It’s a good idea to check with your insurance companies, including Medicare, some of which will pay for CPAP equipment, as well as the Inspire device. That’s a good thing, because both devices cost thousands of dollars each.