Upper airway muscle exercises outcome in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

Abstract

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is an important disease that represent a challenge for both patients and physicians to reach optimum choice for treatment mostly because genesis of OSAS is multifactorial. Upper airway muscle function plays a major role in maintenance of the upper airway patency especially during sleep. Oropharyngeal exercises may be an effective treatment option for OSAS. Objective: Aim of this study was to evaluate upper airway muscle exercise as method to treat OSAS. Patients and methods: 30 patients divided into 2 groups; Group I moderate OSAS and Group II: severe OSAS patients. Follow up, as regard ESS, AHI, oxygen saturation and snoring was done after 3 months of oropharyngeal exercises. Results: After end of study, daytime sleepiness and AHI improved significantly in group I (moderate OSA) 13 out of 15 patients shifted from moderate to mild OSAS. There was significant decrease in oxygen desaturation and snoring index. As for group II, there was decrease but not significant change in same parameters. Only for moderate OSAS, there was, significant decrease in neck circumference, which inversely correlated with changes in AHI (r = 0.582; P < 0.001). Conclusion: Upper airways exercises can be a novel easy non invasive technique to improve AHI, O2 saturation and snoring thus used in treatment of OSAS patients mainly moderate type.

Keywords

• OSAS
• Pharyngeal exercises
• Polysomnography