Sleep apnea - could this be you?

[DrewKaree]

My brother-in-law has this, and I may also...gonna get checked out over winter.  I've been hearing about this article all day, and now you can read it too.  Some wierd phrasings, to be sure

Link to the sleep apnea story

A seven-year study, led by Klar Yaggi of the Yale University School of Medicine, found that people with apnea were twice as likely to die or have a stroke.

So people without apnea weren't going to die?  I know, it's a serious subject, but I couldn't help pointing out how stupid that phrase sounded

Something I never considered is mentioned in here.  Apnea is commonly described as something that causes fatigue during your day due to lack of sleep.  This study says the number of those types is 4%, while I've NEVER heard that the number of apnea sufferers WITHOUT fatigue IS 4 TIMES LARGER THAN THE OTHER GROUP!

I always figured "I'm not tired or fatigued during the day....I CAN'T have it....can I?" 

[ChadTower]

I've always wondered about that.  I wake up 5-6 times a night, every night, without fail.  The only time I don't is when I'm hammered.  That's pretty much why I drink way more than I should.  To get some freakin sleep.

[Goz]

I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea about a year ago and believe me if you have severe sleep apnea you know it. My wife was waking me up and telling me that I was making funny sounds and was turning blue. Apparently the airway closes up and your subconcious does not wake you up. This became a more common occurrance than not. Since going through the sleep study they prescribed me a device called a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) while sleeping is improved and it helps avoid the whole non breathing thing; it also comes with a learning curve. The device fits over the nose and supplies a supply of O2 at various pressures called a ramp. Here's the catch.... if you open your mouth or the mask slips and you lose pressure arround the nose a vacuum is created and the air is sucked out of your lungs and bam... your back to not breathing.

-Goz

[edited for grammar]

[DrewKaree]

I've heard some commercials about some alternative to the CPAP.  Something about hoses and whatnot and their product being better and easier to sleep with.  They run the commercial so often I should be able to remember what it is, but I guess I tuned it out long ago.  I'll try to see if I can remember to write down what it is or a web address tomorrow.

I've heard something about surgery on the soft palate can help as well.

[Thenasty]

this is what's gonna kill me one night. Wife clocks me at about 2-4 minutes that I stop breathing and I believe her cause I remember gasping for air everytime. Sometimes she knocks me around after 30 seconds if she happens to be up at that time or got waken up by my snoring.



yes Drew, this is one reason why I like driving at 3:30AM to keep myself awake but now with my blinker on  . Oh BTW, made it without any OINK OINK from my PA trip.

[DrewKaree]

Dude, you've GOT to look into a sleep clinic near you!  My insurance doesn't cover this, but there's a testing place near me, and 2 colleges near me do SOME sort of sleep disorder study that I may be trying to sign up for!

[duffjr]

i have hypersomnia.  i need 11 hours of sleep a night.

[Jabba]

Yeah, I think I have it too. My wife sometimes gets a little frightened....

My brother tried that forcerd air thingamabob. He hates it, plus they wanted $1000 for it.

Not sure if he gave it back or not...

[missioncontrol]

I just don't sleep it's way to over-rated

[Bones]

I am not going to undermine the sleep apnea problem because obviously it exists, but I am curious what part a healthy diet and exercise plays in relieving these type of symptoms.

[Grasshopper]

My understanding is that sleep apnea is often linked to obesity.

Losing weight may not be the answer for everybody. But that is what I'd try first before seeking out expensive and possibly ineffective medical treatments.

Losing weight can of course also alleviate many other medical conditions.

[missioncontrol]

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[DrewKaree]

My understanding is that sleep apnea is often linked to obesity.

Losing weight may not be the answer for everybody. But that is what I'd try first before seeking out expensive and possibly ineffective medical treatments.

Losing weight can of course also alleviate many other medical conditions.

Losing weight over months, while ignoring the possibility that you may have apnea, is foolish.  If the doctor believes that losing weight will help and possibly eliminate it, I'm quite certain he'll tell you that, and if in the interim, you require treatment to help you NOT DIE, he'll tell you that too.  I'd rather hear from a medical professional that it'll solve my problems, rather than "self-medicate" by losing weight in the HOPES that it'll solve the problem.  Of course, I may just feel this way because my brother-in-law would look anorexic and telling him to lose weight to solve this wouldn't have solved his apnea problem

[Stingray]

Hmm. I think I may have this too, although not as devere as some. My wife wakes me up from time to time because I'm clearly having trouble breathing.

-S

[Hoagie_one]

ive had sleep apnea for years and have been sleeping wonderfully and safely since i started using the CPAP machine 4 years ago.  I still wish i could sleep without this big mask on my face every night, but its a minor annoyance once you get used to it

[missioncontrol]

Hmm. I think I may have this too, although not as devere as some. My wife wakes me up from time to time because I'm clearly having trouble breathing.

-S

she's not trying to wake you she's smothering you with the pillow but you keep waking up 

[Thenasty]

ive had sleep apnea for years and have been sleeping wonderfully and safely since i started using the CPAP machine 4 years ago.

[Thenasty]

she's not trying to wake you she's smothering you with the pillow but you keep waking up

[Goz]

ive had sleep apnea for years and have been sleeping wonderfully and safely since i started using the CPAP machine 4 years ago.  I still wish i could sleep without this big mask on my face every night, but its a minor annoyance once you get used to it

can we/I see a pic of it on ? Does it look like a GAS MASK in a way ? just curious.

Here's a generic picture from the web but the one I have is very similar



-Goz