Sleep Apnea Blog

Posts Tagged ‘sleep apnea’

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.

Havinng his condiion myself I can tell you it is an airway blockage.

Morning issues such as dry throat, headaches, being very tired uppon waking, excessive daytime drowsiness which may also be narcolepsy.

Surgery cures most snoring but rarely apnea which is further back in the throat. There are treatments out there but the only one thhat works for me is a CPAP.

It is a continuous positive airway pressure system designed to keep the airway open.

I’ve had several test where overnight I wore the thing on my finger to test my oxygen saturation levels, and apparently the levels went down because now the Dr. has ordered an oxygen concentrator to wear at night. We’re doing another oxygen level test in a few weeks, to see if the concentrator helps. I’m just wondering if this is a normal first step, because I see a lot of people on here use other things. I’ve also noticed that I’m waking up with horrible headeaches after sleeping with the oxygen, is that normal?
It’s just a normal concentrator with a humidifier bottle and nasal canula. I don’t think the headaches are from it being too tight, because it only goes over my ears and is just tight enough that it doesn’t fall off.

Usually when you get headaches it’s from lack of oxygen, I used to get those heaps but once i went on oxygen they cleared up straight away. If you think the prongs are too tight just hook them up underneath your nose and tighten at the back of your head, I do that because it feels like my ears are being pushed out the other way lol. As for the headaches, talk to your doctor and see what can be done, you may not be getting enough oxygen at night and might have to put it up higher.

My grandfather is finding it hard to breathe while wearing the mask that is on his CPAP machine. He has a mask and just the tube for the nose but both make him feel like he’s having a hard time breathing, and he’s worried about wearing it at night.

That usually happens for the first few weeks after getting the machine. After awhile he will get used to it. If not, then he should see a doctor because maybe the mask is not sized properly.

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

I have been having health problems since October. Symptoms im having are…muscle pain, weakness, sudden loss of strength, burning pain in joints, muscle spasms and cramps, fatigue,clumsiness like dropping things alot, unsteadiness, tingling in my legs and arms…my family doctor did blood work which came back normal, at first he thought i had fibromyalgia until i started having muscle weakness, he ruled out sleep apnea as I dont snore much and sleep fairly well nor do i have very many of the symptoms. He sent me to a neurologist as he thinks i have a neurological disorder…the neurologist says he thinks i have sleep apnea and scheduled a sleep study test, ive talked with others who have sleep apnea and they say I need to see a different neurologist and get a second opinion…has anyone else had these problems with sleep apnea???

The doctor is simply checking out the possibilities. A sleep study is routinely done with many fibromyalgia patients. He is correct that sleep apnea can cause many of the symptoms you are having.

A diagnosis of fibromyalgia is made inpart by excluding other things that couldbe the cause of the symptoms you are having. In addition it is not unusal for fibromyalgia patients to have several health problems in addition to the fibromyalgia.
Your doctor is covering all the bases and you should be happy that he is being thorough. I wish everyone got as good of help as you are getting.

Every person is different and each fibro patient has different symptoms and problems. The thing about fibro once you get the diagnosis , doctors tend to stop looking for other problems that could be causing your symptoms.

i have recently been diagnosed with sleep apnea and i sleep a lot each day. my husband doesn’t understand and thinks i just don’t ‘do’ anything all day. i haven’t got my CPAP machine yet. if you have sleep apnea and don’t yet have a CPAP or remember what it was like before you had yours, how long did you sleep each day, assuming you were able to sleep as long as you wanted?

thanks.

My uncle had sleep apnea and slept an average of 6-7 hours, however he woke frequently. Excessive daytime sleepiness is a symptom of sleep apnea. Other associated symptoms may include:
- loud snoring
- morning headaches
- unrefreshing sleep
- a dry mouth upon awakening
- chest retraction during sleep in young children (chest pulls in)
- high blood pressure
- overweight
- irritability
- change in personality
- depression
- difficulty concentrating
- excessive perspiring during sleep
- heartburn
- reduced libido
- insomnia
- frequent nocturnal urination (nocturia)
- restless sleep
- nocturnal snorting, gasping, choking (may wake self up)
– rapid weight gain
- confusion upon awakening
I would gather more info on apnea and let your husband read up on this and understand exactly what it is as this is a real sleeping disorder. I do know that the CPAP machine has helped my uncle immensly. I do hope that the machine will help you as well.

My daughter wakes up every morning at 4am she is 1 and a half someone has suggested to me that it could be sleep apnea. What are the symptoms of this and what is it? Thanks

Sleep apnea is any period of time where ther is no breathing while asleep. Usuly the time period is a minimum 10 seconds.

The most common kind of sleep apnea is called Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome. It is characterized by repetitive episodes of upper airway obstruction that occur during sleep, usually associated with a reduction in blood oxygen saturation.

symptoms:
excessive daytime sleepiness
frequent episodes of obstructed breathing during sleep. (The patient may be unaware of this symptom — usually the parents are extremely aware of this).

Associated features may include:
snoring – loud, squeaky, raspy
nocturnal snorting, gasping, choking (may wake self up)
restless sleep
heavy irregular breathing
excessive perspiring during sleep
severe bedwetting
bad dreams (nightmares)
night terrors
sleeps with mouth open, causing a dry mouth upon awakening
chest retraction during sleep in young children (chest pulls in)
sleeps in strange positions
confusion upon awakening
morning headaches
unrefreshing sleep
excessive daytime sleepiness
may develop high blood pressure
may be overweight or underweight
learning problems
excessive irritability
change in personality
depression
difficulty concentrating
Developmental problems
failure to thrive or grow
frequent upper respiratory infections
hyperactive behavior

How serious is sleep apnea?
It is a potentially life-threatening condition that requires immediate medical attention. The risks of undiagnosed obstructive in children with sleep apnea include learning problems, developmental problems, behavior problems and in some cases, failure to grow, heart problems and high blood pressure. In addition, obstructive sleep apnea causes daytime sleepiness that can result in personality changes, lost productivity in school and interpersonal relationship problems. A child with sleep apnea may lag behind in many areas of development. The child may become frustrated and depressed. The severity of the symptoms may be mild, moderate or severe.

How does the doctor determine if my child has Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

A sleep test, called polysomnography is usually done to diagnose sleep apnea. There are two kinds of polysomnograms. An overnight polysomnography test involves monitoring brain waves, muscle tension, eye movement, respiration, oxygen level in the blood and audio monitoring. (for snoring, gasping, etc.) The second kind of polysomnography test is a home monitoring test. A Sleep Technologist hooks your child up to all the electrodes and instructs you on how to record your child’s sleep with a computerized polysomnograph that you take home and return in the morning. They are painless tests that are usually covered by insurance.

How is Sleep Apnea treated?

In children, simply removing the tonsils or adenoids may take care of the problem.

Sleep Apnea in children where removing the tonsils or adenoids does not take care of the problem is usually treated with a C-PAP (continous positive airway pressure) or Bi-Level positive airway pressure. C-PAP is a machine that blows air into your nose via a nose mask, keeping the airway open and unobstructed. Bi-Level has an inspiratory pressure that is higher than the expiratory pressure. The sleep doctor will "prescribe" the pressure and a home healthcare company will set it up and provide training in its use and maintenance.

When your child needs a machine, it can be quite intimidating. A C-PAP machine requires some care and a period of adjustment, but the benefits of C-PAP therapy are worth the inconvenience. C-PAP is NOT a venilator, it merely keeps the airway open so your child can breathe easily. It is not a complicated machine like some mentioned in the above link to kidshealth organization, nor do you have to worry about 24-hour nursing care or your child being in intensive care unless there are more complicated problems. A one night stay in a sleep clinic to monitor the child’s breathing is generally all that is required. Here are some tips if your child comes home on a machine. A C-PAP machine may be "prescribed" for your child. A home healthcare company that contracts with your insurance will provide the machine and show you how it works and how to clean and maintain it.

Find out about the different manufacturers who provide respiratory equipment for obstructive sleep apnea.

Some children have facial deformities that may cause the sleep apnea. It simply may be that their jaw is smaller than it should be or they could have a smaller opening at the back of the throat. Some children have enlarged tonsils, a large tongue or some other tissues partially blocking the airway. Fixing a deviated septum may help to open the nasal passages. Removing the tonsils and adenoids or polyps may help also. Children are much more likely to have their tonsils and adenoids removed to solve the problem.

The only available treatment for severe apnea until the early 1980′s was a tracheostomy. A tracheostomy is a surgical procedure where a small hole is cut in the neck and a tube with a valve is inserted into the hole. During the day the valve is closed so the person can speak. At night, the valve is opened, thus avoiding the obstructions. This procedure is only used today as a last resort or to avoid respiratory distress, or other serious medical complications (Your child would have to be extremely sick to require this).

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

just wondering?

You are not too familiar with the health field, are you?

And let me guess- You also probably consider yourself to be a small, skinny, preppy-type, cute girl…
Or if you’re a guy, that’s the type of girl you like…

Either way, I’ll bet you’re judgmental of others and superficial.
But believe me, you ain’t perfect.
You might even…. snore! You just don’t know it because you’re sleeping when it happens.