Technique Helps Athletes Breathe Better Radio-frequency energy used to clear airways By Robert Preidt HealthScout Reporter SUNDAY, March 4 (HealthScout) -- If Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Jon Runyan has a bit more spring in his step on the field next season, it might be due to a recent procedure that used laser and radio-frequency energy to clear his obstructed airways. Some predict this type of procedure could change the future for athletes of all sports, allowing them to breathe more easily and thus perform better. For years, Runyan had suffered from chronic tiredness, and his loud snoring had bothered his wife and irritated his National Football League teammates when he bunked with them on road trips. But it wasn't until last fall that he finally was diagnosed with sleep apnea, a disorder marked by brief but repeated interruptions of breathing sleep apnea symptoms sleep apnea during sleep. "I've had apnea for so long I thought that's how people felt -- you just felt tired all the time," Runyan says. Once diagnosed, he found quick relief through use of a continuous positive airway pressure machine. The person using the machine wears a mask or device that fits over the mouth or nose, and the machine pumps in air at a pressure high enough to keep the airway open while the person sleeps. "It was an amazing feeling to wake up and not be sore and stuff, to actually feel rested," Runyan says. Then, in early February, doctors used the laser and radio-frequency treatment to shrink excessive tissues in the soft palate, uvula, tonsils and nasal passages that can restrict breathing, explains Dr. Mansoor Madani, director of the Center for Corrective Jaw Surgery, in Bala cures for snoring symptoms sleep apnea Cynwyd, Pa., where the procedure was done. Runyan's airflow through his nose and mouth was obstructed by enlarged tissues in the back of his throat and nose, Madani says. "The idea was to open it up," he says. "We hope eventually he'll be able to breathe tremendously better." The seven-minute procedure can be done under local or general anesthesia, Madani says. And it could do more than improve Runyan's sleep. When athletes have difficulty breathing, it can affect their performance, Madani says, so clearing those airways should help them increase their stamina and performance. "I predict procedures like this will be very commonplace for athletes in the future," he says. Many athletes now use breathing strips across their noses in an effort to get better airflow, but Madani says they do nothing to help. "The problem is farther stop snoring symptoms sleep apnea down,"
