About |
Based in West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada,The RespireAide Sleep Apnea Solution manufactures and distributes an over-the counter oral appliance for treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and heavy snoring. This is a new product intended to be used by those who cannot tolerate or afford conventional treatments such as CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) or Mandibular Advancement Devices.
The device works by addressing the two major physical contributors to OSA and snoring...the soft palate and the relative positioning of the rear of the tongue to the soft palate. An apnea occurs when the soft palate drapes into the airway and closes against the rear of the tongue causing an occlusion, or closure, of the airway during sleep. Snoring is caused by the soft palate vibrating as air passes by it once it has draped into the airway. Unlike the other methods of treatment, the RespireAide Appliance address both of these contributing tissues directly; lifting the soft palate out of the airway while, simultaneously inhibiting rearward movement of the tongue towards the soft palate as the user sleeps and muscles controlling these tissues relax.
Because the components of the device are fully flexible and adjustable in length by the user, the expense of taking impressions and creating custom components is not necessary. The user adjusts the device incrementally to attain his or her optimum combination of comfort and effectiveness. Testing has shown that the device has the potential achieve effectiveness equal to that of custom made dental devices and approaching the expectations of CPAP, considered to the "gold standard" of sleep apnea treatment.
The device is priced 5% to 10% of the traditional treatments and although recommended, does not necessitate the participation and related cost of a physician.
Risk of adverse reactions is limited as the device does not stress teeth, muscles, or connective tissues as do Mandibular advancement devices, nor does it require wearing a mask and being tethered to an air pump as when using CPAP. The device comes complete with a storage case, a cleaning brush, a retaining strap, and a velour overnight/traveling drawstring pouch.