8th ANNUAL VENDOR FAIR A VALUABLE ASSET OF SUPPORT GROUP

The Summer Support Group meeting is devoted each year to a Vendor Fair where manufacturers of Sleep Apnea equipment and durable medical equipment suppliers can meet face to face with support group members. This year’s Vendor Fair was supported by Doug Lockwood from Respironics, Randy May from Corvedien, Bill Stohl from Timberlake Medical Supplies, Amy Cesarin from the Contra Costa Sleep Center and Matt Chirco from Oxygen Plus who also served as our Master of Ceremonies for the meeting. A raffle of Sleep Apnea gear followed the open discussion session.

Covidien, formerly Tyco Healthcare, is one of the largest healthcare devices and supplies companies worldwide. Their CPAP and Bi- Level devices are “state of the art” , light weight and easy to operate. You can learn more about Covidien’s devices and mask products at: www.covidien.com/sleepapnea

Respironics, first introduced the first CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure machine) for the treatment of sleep apnea in 1985 and in 1992, received a patent for bi-level technology. More information about Respironics products at: http://sleepapnea.respironics.com

The Contra Costa Sleep Center, established in 1999, is one of the largest sleep centers in Northern California. It provides a wide range of services including education, diagnostic sleep studies and therapy for sleeping disorders. The facility is fully accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and staff physicians are Board Certified Pulmonologists, who are also Board Certified by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. The center is across the street from and affiliated with the John Muir/Mt. Diablo Health System. They can be reached by phone at 925.935.7667 or via the web at: www.ccsleepcenter.com

With many years of experience in the Durable Medical Equipment field, sleep apnea equipment and a location across the street from John Muir Hospital, Matt Chirco and Oxygen Plus are well equipped to serve your needs. They can be reached at: (925) 943-5080.

STUDY SHOWS DEATH RISK 46% HIGHER WITHOUT TREATMENT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) August 18, 2009 – Untreated severe sleep apnea raises the risk of dying early by 46 percent, U.S. researchers reported Monday, but said people with milder sleep-breathing problems do not share that risk. They said people with severe untreated breathing disorders during sleep were more likely to die from a variety of causes than similar people without such sleep disorders. The risks are most obvious in men aged 40 to 70, Naresh Punjabi of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and colleagues found. Punjabi’s team studied 6,400 men and women for an average of eight years. Those who started with major sleep apnea were 46 percent more likely to die from any cause, regardless of age, sex, race, weight or smoking, they reported in the Public Library of Science journal.

Magnets, Rings, Pillows, and Oh My!

Snoring is not a real disease it but it can be a serious social disorder for those sleeping nearby. Families, roommates, military barracks and other communal sleeping arrangements can be seriously disrupted by loud snoring at night. Many consumers turn to the Internet for seemingly quick-fix solutions for snoring, and as a result, it is big business on the Internet. A myriad of Web sites offer miraculous, noninvasive products to reduce or eliminate snoring for $5 to $150 – including shipping and handling if you buy now! Consumers remain uneducated about therapies that work, and those that are a waste of time and money. Physicians may easily dismiss alternative snoring therapies that involve pillows, magnets, and acupressure watches, as these products have little or no objective evidence behind them beyond user testimonials.

To address the exponential growth of questionable anti-snoring therapies, a clinical trial was done which evaluated three of the most popular Internet cures:
• An oral spray lubricant applied before bedtime
• A nasal strip to maintain nasal valve patency
• A head-positioning pillow

Sound measurements of snoring intensity were done along with overnight sleep studies. The results showed that there was no objective or subjective benefit to the use of any of these popular anti-snore aids.

There are many more devices and formulas on the market that claim to be non-surgical, antisnore remedies that work. These companies can advertise and get by the FDA (Federal Drug Administration) because primary snoring is not a real disease, and so it is not regulated at all. This is definitely a Buyer Beware Market! Anti-snoring aids can be presented as technological innovations, holistic innovations and often just as testimonials. Some common bizarre devices include:
• Acupressure pinky rings, utilize prongs on the inside of the ring. The manufacturers claim that these prongs and the ring’s sterling silver material somehow activate the “heart meridian” and increase “energy flow” or what homeopaths call “Chi”.
• The “SnorEnder” is a head-to-chin elastic band with magnets and padding around the ears. The band wraps around the head and ears, harnessing the chin, essentially holding the jaw shut and discouraging mouth breathing. Magnets and padding activate acupressure points around the head that affect “Chi”.
• There are several watch devices, all of which claim to “retrain” the body to stop snoring by first detecting the sound of snoring. Once snoring is detected, the watch emits a gentle electronic shock to the wrist that supposedly trains the body to switch body positions. Makers of these alternative devices often claim that they have conducted “scientific trials,” but later reveal that these are anecdotal trials using written user evaluations. There are therapies that can reduce snoring. Custom oral appliances placed in the mouth at night are the most accepted non-invasive treatment. Oral appliances are made by dentists skilled in fitting these. There are surgical treatments to reduce and/or eliminate snoring by Ear, Nose, and Throat surgeons. If a person has sleep apnea, the CPAP is quite effective to eliminate snoring. Snoring is worsened by alcohol intake, sedatives, and lying flat on the back. Snoring is also worsened by weight gain and improved by weight loss. Individual problems may be addressed to your doctor.