New electronic chip could be used to treat sleep apnea

A new electronic chip could bring relief to patients with a serious disorder that stops them breathing in their sleep.

Eight million people in the UK suffer from Sleep Apnea.

Their airways become obstructed and their breathing repeatedly stops for seconds or even minutes.

But surgeons are now starting to implant a chip into a critical nerve, helping people breathe.

It is known that sleep apnea affects both men and women, he writes sky news, the Telegraph reports.

Those with this disease snore a lot and the soft tissues in the mouth and throat close the airways and impede breathing.

Lack of oxygen can lead to hypertension, strokes, heart attacks and diabetes.

As a result, some patients die.

Reportedly, the most common treatment currently is a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine.

A pump blows air into the mouth and throat, keeping the airways open.

But it is so unpleasant that a third of patients stop using it. /Telegraph/