Oropharyngeal exercises

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Permalink Reply by Kath Hope on June 17, 2024 at 21:51

I would always be guided by Dr Vik Veer, who is the UK's leading ENT surgeon specialising in snoring, sleep apnoea and UARS. He doesn't say the exercises will cure moderate to severe sleep apnoea, but can help by strengthening the airway and tongue muscles. There have been studies done about neuro-muscular stimulation stating it improves things - mainly in snorers or those with mild sleep apnoea. People also pay for the expensive eXciteOSA too and mainly get good results, and sometimes Dr Vik Veer recommends it to his own patients https://www.hope2sleep.co.uk/excite0sa-daytime-therapy-for-snoring-...

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Permalink Reply by John on October 7, 2024 at 8:52

Hi Kath yes I was pretty disappointed when the consultant told me this - as I had some papers sitting next to me saying studies showed an effect - and that's evidence.

Looking at the exite thing it says, "has been clinically proven to target the root cause of snoring and mild obstructive sleep apnoea."

Thing is, none of the medics treating me have even addressed root causes, and I've really asked - a lot.

I got a scan which I thought was going to tell me. I thought they were going to point at my throat and say "this tissue here is causing you apnea"
Nope, they just told me about a polyp, which I've known about for five years.

There was a guy at Modality partnership, Dr Kelly, who was an ENT specialist. I thought he was really good. He wanted to work his way through my breathing chain eliminating causes, but the COVID came and he moved on. I guess breathing specialists were really in demand at that point.

It's been about five years since they prescribed CPAP, spent possibly £ thousands in scans, got me to appointments at Castle Hill, to be told nothing new.

Never once have I got an actual diagnosis of the actual problem.

The only time I raised the possibility of muscular tone it was pooh poohed.

Yet here is a device that addresses the muscular problem - if anyone can diagnose it.

Is it me or is anyone else not getting answers as to actual root cause of their OSA?

And I don't think they're going to be interested in UARS either.

They say my apneas are dealt with. Maybe true, but I still wake up obviously with a problem sleeping.

Asked them if hypopneas could be doing me in - they don't think that's a problem either. Even now sat up at a keyboard I can feel the tightness in my throat and raspy breathing.

So I recently saw two of those not-quite-GPs, Practice Assistants or something they call them. Showed them my flimsy collapsing nostrils - they don't know anything about it. To me it's an obvious problem but the ENT at Castle Hill don't see it as a priority either.
I wonder how much the local consultants know about it?

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