Sleep Apnea Blog » Sleep Apnea Mask

Alternatives for treating sleep apnea?

admin — Sun, 16 May 2010 08:42:11 +0000

I was diagnosed with sleep apnea 2 years ago. I was given sleep-pack mask but it’s even harder to sleep with that on! Does anyone know of an alternative to the mask that works?!

depends on the causes of your sleep apnea. One of the main causes is being overweight, and you don’t even have to be a lot overweight. That’s not always the cause (my dad has it, and has always been on the leaner side). My older sister has it, and hers is DEFINITELY weight related.

Not knowing you i can’t say if weight is a factor or not, but you would know. If it is, try eating healthy, (which everybody should do anyhow), and you will lose weight as a side effect of eating healthy.

Sometimes sleeping on the side helps, but not always.

There are alternatives, i.e. surgery, but as for how well that works, not sure (according to a doc i saw recently, he says it’s 50/50, but anther doc said he gets good results). Surgery should ALWAYS be a last result however, but sleep apnea needs to be taken care of. It’s very hard on the heart.

Has anyone lost weight once beginging sleep apnea treatment?

admin — Mon, 10 May 2010 00:25:07 +0000

In the coming weeks I will start using the CPAP mask to treat my sleep apnea. My neurologist suggested I could lose roughly thirty pounds just by beginning the treatment. I am wondering if anyone has ever lost any weight once they started using a CPAP machine and if so, how much and over how long of a time? Everyone things my doctor is blowing smoke up my butt.

It sounds a bit hard to believe! I have never heard of it, but the doctor would be committing a serious error if he was lying or "joking" without making it clear that he was joking. I have done some research and nothing shows that weight loss is a side effect of the treatment.
Take a look at the info below

Are there any electric providers in Texas that provide reduced rates for people with" sleep apnea"?

admin — Sun, 02 May 2010 02:46:03 +0000

Sleep apnea is a disease that requires the use of an electrical device to provide "constant positive air pressure" (CPAP) in order to breath while sleeping. The device providing the air, hoses, masks, etc.are very expensive and require periodic replacement. A users electric bill can be severely impacted when using a CPAP system.

Not really, the machine doesn’t use that much energy itself and it’s only used a few hours at night.

Does anyone with sleep apnea have this problem?

admin — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 23:37:13 +0000

My husband has sleep apnea and he just will not wear the CPAP mask. Over the past couple of weeks he has begun waking up during the night because he is vomitting.
I am wondering if this is related to the sleep apnea, maybe the vomitting is caused from the loss of breathing? I know he stops breathing during the night because I hear him gasping for breath.
Just wondering if I should call is PCP or his specialist for this one.

My question would be…does your husband have GERD aka acid reflux? This can sometimes cause the symptoms you are describing. He should try sleeping with his head a little more elevated and talk to his sleep physician about it. My other question would be is he on his optimal pressure or is he going through the trial period before his titration for optimal pressure? The combination of the two could definately cause some issues. I would seek some help from his sleep physician. Im not sure by your question if he is using the cpap with these symptoms or if hes not. Good luck

i have a sleep apnea machine that drips water from the mask into my nose/face at night?

admin — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 02:35:19 +0000

i’ve had the machine for 3 to 4 months and at first it was fine. now at night water builds up or gets into the mask an drips into my nose when i roll over or runs across the top of my lip. it’s very disgusting and when it happens i rip the thing off in a half sleeping panic and it totally disturbs my sleep.

the machine is the kind that heats the hose with a copper wire and as usual, i put distilled water in the tank.

is it possible it’s just too dry in my house now that it’s winter (i’m in ontario, canada so it’s pretty darn cold out) and water is condensing inside the mask from my breathing? would putting a humidifier in the room help if that is the case?

has anyone had this happen? i need to make this stop since i’m not wearing the mask now most nights and i really need to (husband can’t sleep and i sleep 10 to 12 hours when i don’t use it).

thanks for any suggestions.
i have tried it with no water in it at all and that makes no difference.
i have also tried it with the moisture set to 0 (tank has been empty anyway) and the machine is at least 1 foot lower than the bed. probably a bit more.

There should be a humidfier setting on the machine going from 1-5 and it is probably set too high so lower the setting to 1,2, or 3. Also the machine needs to be lower than the bed. Set it on a step stool about 1 foot off the floor so any moisture in hose drains back to the machine. Also go to http://www.cpaptalk.com and you will learn anything and everything you ever need to know about cpap machines. The moisture issue you have going on is called "rainout". It is very important to have the machine lower than the bed so the moisture can drain back into the
machine instead of your mouth. My husband has sleep apnea and know just about all there is about it. He is always on this site.

I have sleep apnea, are there alternatives to CPAP and the dreadful mask?

admin — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 02:36:54 +0000

the best alternative by far is weight loss. All of the studies show that for every 10% of body weight lost there is a 50% reduction in symptoms. However, there are also many dental devices on the market that can help to pull the soft palate forward. ENT surgeons can do surgeries that open your nose up or remove soft tissue from the back of your throat. Oral maxillofacial surgeons can also do various types of jaw surgery on you too. The 100% cure is when an ENT surgeon does a tracheostomy on you but most folks don’t want the hole in their neck. If you haven’t seen a surgeon or even a very thorough pulmonology provider then you need to have your anatomy assessed as the best alternative for your case. Good luck and God Bless.

What do you know about sleep apnea surgeries?

admin — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 23:26:33 +0000

I hate the mask (as many people do). I have severe obstructive sleep apnea. I am considering surgical options but I’ve been told the only one that may work for me is the mandibular advancement (when they break your jaw and move it forward). Has anyone had this before? What were your experiences? Did it work? Do you know of any other surgery that may help? Oral appliances?

I had a mandibular advancement back in the day when they still wired your mouth shut for 6 weeks. (Many surgeons now opt for a screw and plate closure along with tight rubber bands that allow more mouth movement and a little more eating options!)

I did have about a year of orthodontics before I could have it done, incidentally, so it was not a quick fix by any means.

The surgery itself sounded far worse than it actually was. The most pain I had was like a dull headache in my jaw area. Pain management was not a problem at all. I did miss eating what I wanted and lost significant weight. (What I would do to have that happen now!!!) I missed yawning the most, though!

It did fix my sleep apnea completely. I have never even snored since. It was well worth it for me.

My 5 year old had tonsils and adenoids removed for the same reason (sleep apnea) with good results as well. I had previously had that surgery, and it was much more painful than the mandibular advancement.

I hope this helps! Best of luck to you!

hi whats . iam 33 i sleep apnea and when i wear the mask i pee the bed does any one else do this?

admin — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 22:41:17 +0000

Do to wearing the mask, you are probably sleeping so deeply and relaxed that you are not awaken by the fact that you have to pee. Try making sure to go to the bathroom before you go to sleep or setting an alarm clock to wake-up earlier to go to the bathroom.

my 2yr has sleep apnea they cant find a small enough cpap mask help?

admin — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 01:38:00 +0000

we have been to the dr to be fitted for a mask 4 times now and no luck! she has a very small nose!dr said shes to young and surgery

Have you checked at www.respironics.com? I work in medical supplies and I know that is a vendor we get some cpap supplies from. I know they do have a line of pediatric masks and they may do custom orders as well. Good Luck!

I have sleep apnea and im taking off my mask without knowing?

admin — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 04:30:21 +0000

when i first got my cpap machine it was a blessing ….but here latley i will go to bed as normal mask on nice and comfie then i awake to find that my mask isnt on my face …so i put the mask on again just to awake that ive taking it off again ..im really at a loss i love my mask but im removing it without knowing plez help

I don’t know what kind of mask and headgear you are using. I use a Respironics headgear which consists of elastic velcro straps.

There is a chin strap available, which is intended for people who have trouble keeping their mouth closed (and thus having a hurricane of air escape through their mouths). Perhaps a chin strap would make removal enough more difficult that you wouldn’t remove it?

If the mask removal isn’t too frequent, it may not actually be a problem. Even a couple of apnea incidents per night doesn’t amount to a serious problem. If I were worried, I’d try adjusting the headgear to be tighter (or looser). I’d try adding another attachment point (such as a chin strip). I’d perhaps try a different mask and headgear completely.

Or, I’d wait a few days and see if the problem corrected itself. Perhaps you are digesting a conundrum and sleeping more lightly than usual.

You can also consult with your doctor, medical equipment supplier, or support group. They may have better answers.