sleep apnea?

---

I now live near the coast in California and use a CPAP machine nightly. I am planning to move to a higher altitude in Colorado (7,000 to 8,000 ft). What effect will this have on my sleep apnea?
It will not an effect on your sleep apnea, just your machine. Make sure when you get there you change your altitude on your CPAP machine. If not you will not get the prescribed pressure.  (+ info)

Sleep Apnea?

---

Can we die during sleep, if we have sleep APNEA? I mean, in severe cases. Thanks. Can anyone give me tips of how to avoid it? I know some, but I would like to know if there is a cure for it.
CAN WE DIE SLEEP  (+ info)

SLEEP Apnea?

---

I think I have sleep apnea, I tought it was my heart but they've gave me a full work up and my heart is fine. I'm so sleepy during the day I can't fuction, is there anything I can do to stay awake during the day, I sleep some through the night but not sure if its a deep sleep. I need help staying awake during the day on my job.
i have the same thing , and unfortunately you have to do some "real" diet changes and excercise. eat a big bowl of oat meal in the morning and try jiu jitsu . i lost 20 lbs.  (+ info)

Sleep apnea?

---

I HAVE SLEEP APNEA IS THERE SOMTHING OVER THE COUNTER TO HELP?
The best remedy for sleep apnea is to get outfitted with a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine which provides back pressure to keep your airway open. You need to have a sleep study to determine the settings for the machine. If you do nothing you risk consequences like heart disease and your sleep will be poor, making you tired all day. It also helps to lose weight. My brother lost 50 pounds and was able to get rid of his CPAP machine by taking a sleep study that showed he was able to maintain his oxygen level all night without the CPAP. I don't know of any medication that can treat sleep apnea.  (+ info)

Is sleep apnea a condition your born with or can u develop it?

---

I used to sleep through the night without waking up most of the time. Now I wake up maybe 3 or 4 times a night. I never get restful sleep. I also experience a lot of sleep paralysis. Could this be linked to sleep apnea?
What Is Sleep Apnea? Are you feeling sleepy all the time? Do you snore? Is your doctor having a difficult time treating your high blood pressure? If you answered 'yes' to any of these questions, then you might have Sleep Apnea (also called Obstructive Sleep Apnea or OSA).

Sleep Apnea is a condition involving pauses or decreases in breathing during sleep. It is usually due to airway collapse. This collapse occurs in the nose and/or the throat - anywhere from where air enters the nostrils to the back of the tongue. Imagine a straw collapsing when trying to suck on a thick milkshake. Frequently, this airway collapsibility problem is inherited and starts in childhood. In the daytime, it is not a problem because there is good muscle-tone in the airway and the brain monitors breathing. But at night, the throat muscles become relaxed and the brain is not as attentive to the airway. So on inhalation, the airway walls can either completely collapse or significantly narrow. This is a problem because 1) the body must struggle to breathe and 2) the brain has to 'wake up' to reopen the airway.


These frequent awakenings lead to fragmentation of nighttime sleep. You may not remember them because they are so short. In fact, patients with sleep apnea can wake-up more than 30 times an hour and think that they slept uninterrupted through the night. Since sleep must be continuous and consolidated in order to be restorative, a number of cognitive problems can occur with sleep fragmentation: daytime sleepiness, memory problems, concentration difficulties, emotional instability, irritability, slowed reaction time, and most importantly, an increased risk of motor vehicle accidents.

There are also cardiovascular consequences of this constant 'struggling to breathe.' This puts a strain on the heart and blood vessels, leading to increased risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.

Finally, there are social implications to Sleep Apnea. The snoring associated with sleep apnea can disrupt the sleep of others. In fact, one study showed that when a person treats his/her sleep apnea, the sleep partner gets the equivalent of one hour more sleep per night.

Sleep apnea is a progressive disease and often gets worse with age. Weight gain, alcohol, and other sedating/relaxing substances exacerbate it.

Who Gets Sleep Apnea?

A common misconception is that only overweight men that snore loudly have sleep apnea, but the facts are:

1) Sleep apnea can occur without snoring
2) Thin people can have sleep apnea
3) Women can have sleep apnea
4) Children can have sleep apnea

In other words, anyone can have it. Even skinny women. Even children.

I Think I Might Have Sleep Apnea, How Do I Find Out If I Have It?

Make an appointment with your primary care physician, or if your insurance allows it, go straight to a sleep specialist. If your physician thinks you might have sleep apnea, then he/she can refer you for a sleep study or comprehensive sleep evaluation.

How Is Sleep Apnea Treated?

There are four main categories of treatment for sleep apnea: Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), Surgery, Oral Appliances, and Behavioral Modification.

The most effective way to treat sleep apnea is with CPAP. CPAP is a mask worn over the nose attached by a hose to an air compressor. The air compressor gently and quietly blows room-air into the nose, which 'stents' the airway open, preventing airway collapse. This is the most effective way to treat sleep apnea, and all patients diagnosed with sleep apnea should at least try it before considering other options.

Surgery can be an effective way to treat sleep apnea. A number of different procedures can be performed. These range from nasal septum repair to jaw reconstruction. Talk to your doctor about whether surgery is the right option for you.

An oral appliance is a device made by a dentist or an orthodontist designed to pull your lower jaw forward. By pulling your lower jaw forward, the tongue is pulled away from the back of the throat. If your airway obstruction is occurring behind the tongue, then this can be an effective way to treat your sleep apnea. The treatment of sleep apnea with oral appliance should be a coordinated effort between the sleep physician, the dentist/orthodontist, and the patient.

Behavioral modifications can help in the treatment of sleep apnea, but are usually the least effective. These include such techniques as weight loss, sleeping on your side, and avoiding alcohol before bedtime.

None of these treatment options is ideal, but they all can be useful in treating sleep apnea and resulting in more restful sleep. With risks like heart attack and stroke, you should do everything you can to get your sleep apnea under control. If you think you have sleep apnea, contact your doctor or go to a sleep center. It could be the best decision you ever made.
By: Scott Fromherz
Ar  (+ info)

How can you get a sleep apnea test done without any insurance?

---

My fiance has sleep apnea and needs a sleep test done so that he can get the machine to help make it better. He has no insurance as he is out of work. We have been trying to find free sleep tests in Ohio but have had no luck.
alot of medical research companies have free testing for certain types of illnesses. Go to the NIH website. That is National Institue of Health. Or contact a medical school or a University hospital associated with one.  (+ info)

How well does a tonsillectomy cure sleep apnea?

---

I have sleep apnea and have a tonsillectomy scheduled for later this year. How well does this fix sleep apnea?
Tonsillectomies alone do not 'cure' sleep apnea. Surgical remedies for sleep apnea usually are for those patients that do not respond well to other treatments, usually surgery is a last resort.

The correct term for the surgery is called a Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, it removes parts or all of the uvula, soft palate, tonsils, adenoids, and pharynx. Its success rate is about 50%. Basically its a coin flip.

The tonsillectomy could work, only if its enlarged. Same goes with the other parts that I listed above. The enlarged tissue(s) tend to obstruct your airway when you sleep, especially when you lie on your back.

I would recommend getting a second opinion and see if your doctor would recommend a sleep study performed on you. Also check with your insurance if it is covered.

Usually, sleep apnea can be resolved with diet and treatment using a CPAP machine (Continous Positive Airway Pressure). It can significantly improve your sleep.

Good luck and have a good night's sleep!  (+ info)

Why does sleep deprivation make the symptoms of sleep apnea worse?

---

I recently did a sleep study and found that I have obstructive sleep apnea and it causes me to wake up during the night - often many times. I go through cycles where the problem gets much worse, one night of poor sleep leads to another worse night of interupted sleep, and so on - sometimes for a month or even more. I have heard that sleep deprivation makes the symptoms of sleep apnea much worse, and as I am searching for the right treatments, I was just interested in finding out why - what is the mechanism that causes this? Very strenuous exercise during the day or early evening can have the same effect. Thank you for any insights.
Actually, sleep apnea is a condition where you actually stop breathing during sleep. For most people, this causes them to wake up quickly; for others, it's a life-threatening situation (especially for babies and small children). I imagine if you're not getting much rest, when you do finally get to sleep your body is so tired it's hard for your body to wake up when you stop breathing. Also, even though your body eventually trains itself to sleep lightly in order potentially avoid apnea, when YOU finally get some sleep your body falls into a deeper sleep. This makes it harder for your body to avoid apnea. I would advise you to get plenty of rest whenever possible. I believe you should obtain a sleep apnea monitor from your physician. This will sound an alarm to wake you up when you stop breathing, or if your oxygen saturation level drops below a certain percentage. This may alleviate some of your anxiety and help you sleep better at night. Just a thought. Good luck.  (+ info)

I have sleep apnea,bi polar,personality disorder just put in a appeal with si am I wasting my time?

---

I just received my 1st denial letter from ssi. Do you think I have a chance with sleep apnea,bi polar, personality disorder, panic attacks and I receive lots of meds for these conditions.
Can"t say if your wasting your time or not, however I do know that SSI ALWAYS denies you the first time around. Its procedural. My Father In Law suffered a massive stroke and through the process I found out that they always do that.  (+ info)

What do you know about sleep apnea surgeries?

---

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!  (+ info)

---

---

• Home
• Our method
• Usage examples
• Index

• Statistics
• Contact

---