Sleep Apnea
Aug. 1st, 2003 04:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
javasaurusI 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...
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...
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2003-08-01 01:24 pm (UTC)Hopefully this will work and you will have lovely restful nights with pleasant dreams.