In one of my recent posts, I mentioned that I have sleep apnea. I had a couple of requests for more info on sleep apnea. Please understand that I am not offering medical advice, just what I know about sleep apnea based on my own diagnosis seven years ago. Until I was diagnosed, I didn't know anything about sleep apnea.
There are three types of sleep apnea; the most common type is Obstructive Sleep Apnea. That's the type that I have. Left untreated, any of the types of sleep apnea can lead to serious heart problems.
Essentially, you stop breathing, then your brain kicks in and says breathe, but every time you stop breathing, it's a stress on your heart. One indicator of possible sleep apnea is heavy snoring. It's not a steady, rhythmic snore, it's more like a series of loud snorts or gasps, with little periods of silence in between.
If you suspect that you or a loved one has sleep apnea, the first thing that she/he should do is ask his/her doctor to set up a sleep test. This involves going to the hospital in the evening and spending the night. They hook up equipment to monitor your heart rate, pulse, breathing etc. Then you go to sleep. They set up the room to look like a very comfortable hotel room. They watch you sleep and monitor your vital signs. If you show signs of apnea, i.e. you periodically stop breathing, then they fit you with a CPAP machine or some other type of device to reduce the episodes of apnea. They have to determine what pressure setting is needed to reduce the apnea episodes.
You won't go home with a CPAP machine. There are a lot of medical supply companies that supply CPAPs and other durable medical equipment. Your doctor will write you a prescription for the CPAP. Then a technician from the company that you elect to use will meet with you to show you how to use the machine. Most insurance companies will cover some if not all of the cost of the CPAP equipment. Usually, the insurance company will begin by renting the equipment and after 6 to 12 months, it will authorize the purchase of the CPAP.
I get my supplies from Apria Healthcare. They are nationwide. I like them because I used to have to travel a great deal in my old job and I had to use an oxygen concentrator hooked up to my CPAP. The CPAP is very portable, the size of a large shoulder bag but the concentrator isn't portable. At no charge to me, Apria would arrange for an oxygen concentrator to be delivered to whatever hotel I was staying in, any place that I visited. My health has improved considerably and I was able to dispense with using the oxygen concentrator about five years ago.
CPAP masks come in a lot of different styles. I use a mask that fits over my nose but there are some that fit over your nose and mouth. The CPAP blows pressurized air through your nose and down your throat and that keeps your airway from collapsing. When I got my CPAP, I woke up the next morning feeling rested for the first time in ten years! Once I started using the CPAP, a lot of my other health issues improved drastically in a matter of a few months. I was able to cut the number of prescription meds that I was on in half. All symptoms of my Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) have disappeared and I haven't had a problem with CHF since 1999. In addition to heart problems, untreated sleep apnea can also contribute to depression, high blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmias and type II diabetes.
Most people have initial difficulties adjusting to sleeping with head gear and a mask on every night. However, it is important that you work towards full use of the CPAP. I don't take even a brief nap without mine. The quality of rest that I get with it makes it worthwhile.
Below are some useful websites that provide info on sleep apnea. Please feel free to email me if you have any additional questions.
5 comments:
Hi,
Here is two more link for additional information:
www.sleepapnea.org
www.apneasupport.org
All the best,
Ed
Hi Sheria,
I am sure that by providing this information so clearly that you will have helped some one with this problem. Thanks very much!
Thanks also for commenting on my journal. I love getting other people's opinions. It is always helpful having a veriety of perspectives!
Kate.
http://journals.aol.co.uk/bobandkate/AnAnalysisofLife/
I am sure I suffer from some sleep apnea. My mother was tested, and it was discovered that she did, but I do feel rested when I wake up most of the time, or I would go and have it checked out as you did. I think you are offering some valuable info however. My ailments are connected to some form of chronic fatigue that kicks in when I do too much or experience high stress. Due to all the stress I experienced in childhood my system seems compromised. It is all very complicated and I have had to study my symptoms very closely in order to recover from the bouts I have had with it to feel relatively healthy. Gerry
http://journals.aol.com/gehi6/daughters-of-the-shadow-men/
Did you know that AOL's wellness coach and sleep expert Dr. Breus has a website and blog too, with some apnea resources and info?
Here are his URLs:
http://www.michaelbreus.com
http://www.theinsomniablog.com
Thanks for sharing your story.
Oh that must be unsettling to deal with this....I dont know anyone personally who has this but my heart is out to you. It is good that there are alternatives for a safe, long living life but what a pain to have to deal with that. My compassion is great. -Raven
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