People who suffer from sleep apnea, a condition caused by narrowing airways, could use night mouth guards as an alternative treatment to Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) breathing machines. It could be a useful tool as the untreated medical condition can increase the risk of hypertension, stroke, and even early death.
A study involving a "mouth guard" was published in JAMA Internal Medicine. It included 96 men and women who were sleep apnea patients.
People who suffer from sleep apnea could have light or stopped breathing several times each hour. That can cause blood oxygen levels to drop.
The decrease in oxygen causes organs that need it to have short-term problems functioning. If low oxygen levels continue, they can result in major health problems.
One symptom of sleep apnea is depression. The findings of a recent study showed that "depression" due to daytime sleepiness is often caused by sleep apnea, rather than severe sadness, according to The Market Business.
The device tested in the study is like a mouth guard. It moves the lower jaw a little forward and down, which opens up the airway. This gadget is basic, silent, and portable.
Researchers conducted a 4-month study. Those who used the custom oral device suffered less apnea and snoring than those who used a placebo mouth guard, according to The Dallas Chronicle.
However, the regular mouth guard helped sleep apnea sufferers to sleep marginally better. In fact, some of the study's volunteers asked to keep the gadgets.
The most-tested sleep apnea treatment is the CPAP breathing machine. It works, but requires a pump, tube, and mask.
Many sleep apnea patients who try CPAP machines stop using them. They argue that the equipment is inconvenient or the machine's hum is annoying.