Health : Health Buzz: Can Giving the Tongue Small Shocks Relieve Sleep Apnea?

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Health Buzz: Can Giving the Tongue Small Shocks Relieve Sleep Apnea? Posted: 28 Dec 2010 01:40 PM PST Researchers Will Soon Start Trying Out a Tongue 'Pacemaker' A pacemaker-like device that would send mild electrical jolts to the tongues of sleep-apnea sufferers while they snooze could be the key to a full night of Z's. Scientists from the Minneapolis-based Inspire Medical Systems will soon begin to test the novel treatment, the Associated Press reports. They hope that by the end of January they will enroll 100 U.S. and European patients whose condition is caused by a slack tongue. Two other companies will begin similar testing. A common cause of obstructive sleep apnea is a combination of a slack tongue and relaxed throat muscles. Breathing can be blocked as long as 30 seconds and as often as 30 times an hour. Those with the condition may be largely unaware other than not feeling rested in the morning, or they may suddenly awaken, gasping for air. The tongue is a muscle, and the idea of a pacemaker is to control it by giving it mild electrical shocks to keep it from relaxing and blocking the airway. Doctors will implant the device beneath the skin near the collarbone and wire it to a nerve in the tongue. It will sense when a person takes a breath, triggering the zap. This new approach, while only in its initial stages, could prove more effective than CPAP, the current standard treatment in which users don a mask at bedtime that blows air through the nose to keep airways open. Many apnea sufferers say the masks are uncomfortable and make them feel claustrophobic. Obstructive sleep apnea, which the National Institutes of Health estimates affects 12 million Americans, may lead to high blood pressure, strokes, heart attacks, heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Sleep apnea can be triggered or worsened by many factors, U.S. News's Lindsay Lyon reported in 2009. Here are four of them. From: 7 Things That Make Sleep Apnea Worse 1. Weight gain. Excess pounds can bulk up tissues in and around the airway, making the airway more vulnerable to collapse as muscles relax during sleep, says Alejandro Chediak, medical director of the Miami Sleep Disorders Center and past president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Likewise, heavier people tend to have thicker necks, which can also be a factor, says David Schulman, director of the Emory Sleep Lab in Atlanta. Although thin folks can develop apnea, more than half of those with the condition are overweight, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Frustratingly, the condition itself can add pounds. Evidence suggests that it may increase the appetite for unhealthful foods, according to a 2008 study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine which found that people with severe forms of the disorder, especially women, were more likely to make poor food choices than those with mild or no cases. Additionally, sleep deprivation, a hallmark of sleep apnea, seems to interfere with hormones that normally suppress appetite, says Chediak. While shedding pounds may alleviate or eliminate sleep apnea if weight is the root cause—weight loss surgery, for example, has been shown to ease it in the morbidly obese—there's "no compelling evidence" that treating sleep apnea will make people melt pounds, Chediak says. 2. Alcohol. A muscle relaxant, alcohol can slacken throat tissues more than usual during sleep, making the airway more vulnerable to obstruction. Although the effect usually dissipates as the alcohol clears the body during the night, cutting down may help. 3. Medications. The particular culprits are muscle relaxants and sleep aids. "If you're taking muscle relaxants, you're going to expose yourself to greater snoring and sleep apnea," says Chediak, and "the vast majority of sleeping medications have a muscle relaxant property." Sleeping pills also lengthen the episodes when breathing stops, because "more respiratory compromise" is needed to wake the brain up to restore normal breathing, he says. 4. Sleep position. Sleeping on your back typically makes sleep apnea worse and sleeping on your side makes it better, says Schulman. That has to do with how and where weight falls on the airway. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Health Buzz: Salmonella Detected in Cilantro, Parsley Products Posted: 28 Dec 2010 07:56 AM PST 'Little Bear' Brand Products Test Positive For Salmonella A Texas produce distributor has recalled nearly 7,000 cases of cilantro and curly parsley after samples tested positive for salmonella. No reports of sickness have surfaced, J&D produce officials said Monday. The items, packed between November 30 and December 6 in Quebec and Detroit, were distributed under the Little Bear brand. "We've already implemented immediate measures to make sure we minimize the likelihood of this reoccurring," J&D president James Bassetti said in a statement. "We have a good track record, but we'll bring our expectations and standards to even higher levels." The company is also recalling produce items that were processed on the same packing lines, including arugula, beets, turnips, plain mustard, and dill. Infection of salmonella, a kind of bacteria, typically causes fever, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea, and lasts for four to seven days. Consumers with questions about the J&D recall can contact the company at (956) 380-0358. How to Reduce Your Salmonella Risk Would Your Kitchen Pass a Restaurant Inspection? For Addiction Help, Hire a 'Sober Coach' The call of drugs and alcohol to substance abusers trying to kick their habit never goes silent. For someone who has relapsed repeatedly, a new specialist—the "sober coach"—has emerged. They are paid at least $200 an hour to work one-on-one with recovering addicts, sometimes moving into their homes at more than $1,000 a day to fulfill a 24-7 role, U.S. News reports. They are motivators and cheerleaders, role models and mentors. They don't sugarcoat their words. And they resort to the unconventional to break a client's addiction cycle. A coach might go grocery shopping with his client until that person learns not to stop in the wine aisle. He'll police an alcoholic's morning coffee routine to ensure no rum or brandy is added. And if there's a slipup? "I've used everything from 'Shut up!' to 'Do you want to become a person or remain a dope fiend?' " says Doug Caine, founder and president of Sober Champion, a sober coaching company that has offices in Los Angeles, New York, and London. "I've asked, 'Is smoking crack the best way you can serve your children?' Every client requires a different motivating tool at a different time." Tough love is central to sober coaching. "We don't do hand-holding or babysitting jobs," Caine says. "Coaches and clients develop an intense, bonded relationship. If you're not willing to do some work, if you won't go to any lengths to stay clean, you're going to have a tough time benefitting." [Read more: For Addiction Help, Hire a 'Sober Coach'.] The Sheff Family Struggles With Addiction Four Loko May Be Gone, but Dangerous Alcohol Drinks Remain Get ready for the end of guilt-free eating out. The new health reform law directs the Food and Drug Administration to require chain restaurants to post calorie counts on menus or menu boards. The FDA, which has not yet issued the rules, has indicated it may expand them to cover airlines, movie theaters, food carts, and other establishments, U.S. News's Brian Burnsed reports. With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimating that the U.S. obesity rate is approaching 27 percent, Americans stand to benefit from more dietary disclosure. Many will undoubtedly be shocked to find that healthy-sounding options can be diet-busters, like Applebee's oriental chicken salad (1,310 calories) or McDonald's grilled chicken club sandwich extra value meal (1,120 calories). Both represent more than half the average person's recommended daily caloric intake. [Read more: Calorie Counts on Menus: The End of Guilt-Free Dining?] Best and Worst Fast Food Kids' Meals Use These 8 Foods to Help You Lose Weight This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

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