Sleep Apnea

[javasaurus]

I have been diagnosed with "severe obstructive sleep apnea." This means that I don't get enough air when I sleep because the throat is too closed off.

I will soon have to go to get an air pump w/mask fitted and tested to see if it helps. It would be worn during sleep, and forces air through, keeping the passage ways open. It doesn't help everybody. If that doesn't work, other options include nose surgery, and throat surgery. In the nose, they can fix the deviated septum, and reduce the membranes. In the throat, they would remove the tonsils and uvula and part of the soft pallet. Losing weight can also help somewhat, and I'm working on that.

The effects of sleep apnea are poor quality sleep with repeated waking during the night (to breath), loud snoring (see, it's not really my fault!), and in really severe cases even death (very rarely!). Secondary effects, due to lack of quality sleep, include fatigue, nodding off, inability to think or focus, loss of motivation, increase in weight, irritability. It might also exlpain why I rarely remember dreams -- I might not be getting sufficient REM sleep to have many dreams!

So I'm really excited about being treated for this. It means a more intelligent, more productive me! Dreams would be nice too...

Comments

[blueeowyn.livejournal.com]

Lovely catch-22. Weight can exacerbate the problem and the problem can cause weight gain.

Hopefully this will work and you will have lovely restful nights with pleasant dreams.

[xpioti.livejournal.com]

Is there anything homeopathic that might help? For instance, I've noticed that if I drink enough water, my congestion is reduced and my mouth isn't dry when I wake up. I gotta admit, part of the reason I ask is that surgery gives me the willies. :) (The other part is that I like you, so surgery on you gives me the willies. :) )

[javasaurus.livejournal.com]

Generally, when a person sleeps, their mouth completely relaxes. The tongue moves back towards the throat, the tonsils collapse inwards, and the soft palet descends, effectively closing off the mouth from the throat. Apparently you're supposed to be breathing through your nose, eh? But my nose has a deviated septum and enlarged membranes, so not enough air gets through there. So when I sleep, I don't breath very well.

This is not something water will help.

Losing a substantial amount of weight may decrease the size of the membranes a little. The mask/forced air approach simply keeps my airways sufficiently open so that I can breathe. However, it's not effective for everybody. The surgery to the nose would correct the deviated septum and reduce the membranes. Not a big deal, and quick recovery. Besides, then I wouldn't always be getting my nose out of joint!

The throat surgery is a little more drastic, and a last measure. But even it is little more than a tonsilectomy, which is a routine as a surgery can get.

So even if I go under the knife, I'm not worried.