Inspire is like a little helper that works inside your body while you’re fast asleep. Instead of using a CPAP machine, you get a small device implanted during a quick and easy procedure.

When bedtime comes around, all you need to do is click a remote. This remote turns on the Inspire device, and from that point on, you can snooze away without a care. While you’re in dreamland, Inspire is hard at work, gently opening up your airway. This means you can breathe normally and enjoy a peaceful night’s sleep.

Not everyone is a good fit for Inspire, you have to meet four criteria to be eligible for Inspire surgery. An Inspire-trained doctor will check these boxes to see if you’re a match:

• You have moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea.
• Using a CPAP hasn’t been working out well for you.
• You’re not too significantly overweight.
• You’re at least 18 years old.

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that affects over 25 million people in America alone and almost a billion people worldwide. It occurs in all sexes and all age groups, and it commonly goes undiagnosed. In fact, more than 80% of patients with sleep apnea don’t even know they have it. Let’s get into the specifics. This disorder shows up, primarily, in two forms: Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and Central Sleep Apnea (CSA).

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

OSA is by far the more common of the two. It occurs when the muscles in the back of your throat fail to keep your breathing airway open, resulting in either a partial or complete blockage in your airway. Essentially, you stop breathing periodically throughout the night! This, in turn, signals your brain to partially wake up in order to tell your body that you need to breathe, because, you know, you need to breathe to stay alive. This can cause you to wake up as many as 500 times each and every night, depending on the severity of your OSA.

A note on the varying severity of OSA:

• Mild OSA: 5-14 interruptions in breathing per hour.
• Moderate OSA: 15- 30 interruptions per hour.
• Severe OSA: 30 or more interruptions per hour.

These apnea obstructions are often followed by gasping, choking, and snorting sounds, which are the result of trying to take a deep enough breath to fight past the obstruction so that you can breathe. Once a breath is taken, the brain returns to sleep. However, these events might be very subtle and are virtually silent to certain people.

Central Sleep Apnea

Central Sleep Apnea (CSA) is a bit different. It is more of a communication problem with the brain than a mechanical problem with the breathing airways. With CSA, your brain actually fails to signal the muscles that are supposed to be regulating your breathing. CSA is much less common, comprising around 15% of all sleep apnea cases.

• • Do you regularly wake up tired or with a headache?
  • Do you doze off during the day?
  • Do you snore?
  • Do you get really warm at night?
  • Do you wake up to use the bathroom a lot?

  If you have one of more of these symptoms you might have sleep apnea, so you should get it confirmed by a sleep specialist as soon as possible. Only they can diagnose you properly.

   Our blog explains even further.

The cost of a home sleep test is less expensive than a traditional sleep study. If paying by insurance, your co-pay will likely be the same, usually less than $25.

You may be responsible for your typical specialist visit via copay, but there are no additional fees. Furthermore, you will never be charged a fee without your consent.

If you have a high-deductible plan or no health insurance at present, Ognomy offers a very reasonable self-pay option that includes an initial sleep specialist consultation, a home sleep test, and follow-up consultation, all for just $299.

Contact us at sheepa@ognomy.com if you would like more information.