About obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)
Sleep apnea is a disorder in which a person stops breathing for brief periods (10 seconds or more) during sleep. The most common form of sleep apnea, called obstructive sleep apnea, occurs when muscles in the back of the throat relax during sleep and the tissue blocks the airway.
When a person stops breathing, oxygen levels in the blood drop, which can affect the brain and heart. Hence, sleep apnea has been linked to dangerous health conditions such as heart attacks, high blood pressure and stroke.
Details of the study
In a random trail, Brazilian researchers analyzed 31 patients who were recently diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea. The scientists examined the effects of exercise on patients with symptoms of OSA, using polysomnography.
Dr. Geraldo Lorenzi-Filho, who led the study at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil, stated, "It was commonly thought among doctors that strengthening and toning oropharyngeal muscles would have no benefit to the patient during sleep, but a recent study showed that didgeridoo playing helped decrease snoring and OSA.”
In the study, Lorenzi-Filho and his colleagues divided 31 people into two groups. The first formed the exercise group of 16 participants whose weekly routine comprised of tongue and pharyngeal exercises. The other 15 formed the control group who had to follow a fake regime involving deep breathing and nasal exercises using saline rinses.
The patients were also assessed on the frequency and intensity of snoring, napping and sleep quality on the basis of self-reports and questionnaires.
After three months, the treatment group showed a marked improvement. The patients were snoring less, sleeping better, and were less sleepy during the daytime. The severity of OSA in the group showed a reduction of 40 percent. Out of the 16 patients, 8 demonstrated a change from moderate to mild symptoms, where as two had no OSA.
On the other hand, there were no significant changes in the control group. “These data suggest that the exercises were able to promote remodeling of the upper airways,” said Dr. Lorenzi-Filho.
He further added, “The muscles of the upper airways are extremely complex and the mechanisms leading to OSA are far from being well understood. A strong muscle may be working on the wrong direction and not necessarily helping to open the airways.
“The overall set of exercises we tested target the correct physiology of the upper airway and should promote remodeling of the upper airways.”
However, the researchers admit the study, though promising, catered to a small group. They feel more research is required to understand how the exercises work and whether different patients need different sets of exercises.
The study appears in the May 15 edition of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
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