Sometimes, when you sleep, your airway gets blocked. This makes it hard to breathe and disrupts your sleep. This is called sleep apnea. Lasers can be a new way to help open your airway for better sleep. But how laser therapy and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are connected?
Laser therapy is an emerging treatment for OSA that targets tissue in the throat to reduce airway obstruction. This non-invasive procedure can decrease snoring and improve airflow, potentially reducing the reliance on CPAP machines and enhancing sleep quality.
So, when you struggle with OSA and are looking for an alternative treatment, laser therapy can be the answer to achieving better sleep and improving your overall health.
How Laser Therapy Works For OSA
Laser therapy is becoming popular for treating OSA. It uses light energy to make positive changes in the throat. Let’s dive into how it helps people with OSA.
Targeting Tissue Obstructions
Laser therapy focuses on the tissues in the throat that block the airway during sleep. The laser gently removes excess tissue and helps open up the airway. This makes it easier for air to flow in and out, reducing the chances of breathing pauses while you sleep.
Encouraging Airway Stability
The therapy enhances the structural stability of the airway. It strengthens the tissues around the throat. It does it by causing collagen to contract and new collagen to form. This prevents the airway from collapsing at night. This stability is crucial for uninterrupted breathing and a good night’s sleep.
Reducing Sleep Disruptions
By clearing and stabilizing the airway, laser therapy reduces the interruptions in sleep that OSA causes. People often wake up less at night and feel more rested in the morning, leading to a better quality of sleep and more energy during the day.
Promoting Tissue Healing
Laser therapy helps healing in the throat. It does this by boosting blood flow to the treated area. This extra blood flow brings more oxygen and nutrients. It helps heal tissue.
Repeated episodes of apnea and snoring damage the tissue. Healing these tissues can cut swelling and inflammation. This helps make an open airway.
Enhancing Muscle Tone
Laser therapy also helps tonify the throat muscles. Improved muscle tone supports the airway, keeping it open throughout the night. Stronger throat muscles are less likely to relax excessively, which is a common cause of airway obstruction in OSA patients.
Benefits Of Laser Therapy For OSA
Laser therapy brings several significant benefits to those dealing with Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Here’s a closer look at how this treatment can help:
Improved Breathing During Sleep
Laser therapy effectively targets the soft tissues in the throat that cause blockages during sleep. The laser reduces their size by gently heating these tissues, minimizing airway obstruction. This improvement allows for smoother airflow and reduces the number and severity of breathing interruptions at night.
Enhanced Sleep Quality
Improvements in breathing lead directly to better sleep quality. Patients often experience deeper sleep with fewer disturbances, waking up feeling more rested. This improvement in sleep quality can greatly impact overall health, increasing energy levels and improving mood and cognitive function during the day.
Non-Invasive And Painless Treatment
One of the most appealing aspects of laser therapy is its noninvasive nature. Surgical options can require long recovery times. Laser therapy involves no cuts, bleeding, or stitches. The procedure is usually painless and minimally uncomfortable. It is often finished in less than an hour per session.
Minimizes The Need For Surgery
For many patients, laser therapy can serve as a viable alternative to more invasive surgical interventions. Laser therapy reduces tissue volume and opens the airway. It can ease OSA symptoms so well that surgery may not be needed, sparing patients from surgery risks and complications.
Reduces Dependence On CPAP Machines
CPAP machines are a popular treatment for OSA, but patients often find them uncomfortable and inconvenient. And people are afraid to use them after so many recalls. Laser therapy offers an alternative.
It addresses some causes of OSA, which can reduce a patient’s need for CPAP machines. Laser therapy can improve CPAP usage, making it less necessary or more effective. This is because it reduces airway obstructions.
Laser Therapy Vs. Traditional Treatments For OSA
When considering treatments for OSA, comparing the new and old methods is important. The new ones include laser therapy. Here’s how laser therapy stacks up:
Comparing Effectiveness And Efficiency
Laser therapy can work as well as traditional treatments, including PAP machines and surgery. It can work for some patients, especially those with mild to moderate OSA.
It targets tissues that block airways, shrinking them and opening the airways. This approach can quickly improve symptoms. It often needs fewer sessions than long PAP use.
Minimizing Side Effects And Risks
Traditional treatments, especially surgery, often have big risks and side effects. These include pain, bleeding, and long recovery times. In contrast, laser therapy offers a non-invasive alternative with minimal side effects.
Most patients feel only slight pain during the procedure, which does not cause lasting harm. Thus, it is a safer choice for many.
Complementing Conventional Approaches
Laser therapy does not always replace traditional treatments but can complement them effectively. For instance, patients may use laser therapy to reduce their symptoms.
They reduce them to a level where PAP machines become more tolerable or effective. This combined approach can lead to better overall management of OSA.
Faster Recovery Time
Laser therapy has a big advantage over surgery. It has a faster recovery. Patients can often resume normal activities right after a laser therapy session. Surgery requires weeks of recovery. This makes laser therapy an attractive option for those who cannot afford significant downtime.
Suitable For All Ages
Laser therapy works for patients of all ages, including children and the elderly, who may not tolerate traditional treatments well. This broad applicability makes it a great option for many patients who want a less invasive and more comfortable treatment for OSA.
Safety Considerations And Regulations
When considering laser therapy for OSA, it’s important to understand the safety measures and rules.
FDA-Approved Laser Devices
Using only FDA-approved devices for treating OSA is crucial. It helps patients rely more on the devices they are using as they meet stringent safety standards and have undergone rigorous testing to confirm their effectiveness and safety in treating sleep apnea.
Recently, Vivos Therapeutics’ C.A.R.E. devices received the first ever FDA 510(k) clearance for oral device treatment of moderate and severe OSA in adults 18 years of age and older, along with positive airway pressure (PAP) devices and/or myofunctional therapy, as needed. This approval is a huge step that signifies the value and power of oral appliance therapy.
Suitable Candidates For Laser Therapy
Not everyone with OSA can use laser therapy. It works best for people with certain types of throat tissue and sleep apnea symptoms. Doctors consider health history and sleep test results to decide if laser therapy is right for a patient.
Ensuring Patient Safety
Doctors take many steps to keep patients safe during laser therapy. They use careful settings on the laser devices to avoid harm and closely check the patient’s response to the treatment. Patients also get instructions on what to do after treatment to stay safe and healthy.
The Future Of Laser Therapy In OSA Treatment
Treating OSA with laser therapy is changing fast. Promising advancements are coming, and they could transform how we manage this common sleep disorder.
Advancements In Laser Technology
Innovations keep making laser treatments for OSA better and safer. Recent developments focus on improving the precision of delivering laser energy. They aim to deliver it to target tissues. The aim is to reduce side effects while boosting therapeutic results.
Newer laser systems offer better control. They can adjust the treatment’s intensity and depth. This allows for personalized therapy tailored to each patient’s specific needs.
Accessibility And Affordability
Laser technology is advancing. The cost of devices and treatments will decrease, making this therapy more accessible to more patients. Efforts are also being made to add laser therapy to mainstream medicine, which could cut treatment costs.
More people will get access to laser therapy. This will happen. Insurance companies will start to see the savings of using laser therapy to manage OSA. They will also see the benefits.
Expanding Treatment Options
The future of laser therapy in OSA treatment is to expand the population that can benefit from it. Researchers are studying the use of laser therapy.
They will combine it with other treatments, like PAP machines and oral appliances, enhancing the overall effectiveness of treatment. There is ongoing research into using laser therapy for different types of OSA. It could offer a valuable alternative for patients who struggle with other treatments.
Conclusion: Laser Therapy And Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
Laser therapy offers a new way to treat OSA. It can help reduce snoring and improve sleep by increasing the throat area.
This treatment is quite safe, but like all treatments, it can have some side effects, such as throat irritation or swelling.
Always talk to your doctor to see if laser therapy is a good choice. With the right treatment, you can sleep better and feel more rested during the day.
