I decided to make an appointment with my primary care doctor. I was finally asking for help. My doctor listened to all my symptoms and complaints and looked up from her lap top computer and said that I had sleep apnea and wanted to make an appointment for a sleep study as soon as possible. My doctor explained that sleep apnea was a serious medical condition that was characterized by snoring and day time sleepiness. People who had sleep apnea complained of being sleepy and tired. They would snore and stop breathing in their sleep. Frequently, the spouse wakes up because of the snoring. My husband would wake me up and ask me to roll on my side.
The sleep study was an overnight stay at the hospital in a special area where you were placed in a room that looked very much like a bedroom. They mailed a list of requirements one week before your sleep study appointment. You were to be at the hospital by 6 p.m. and bring either pajama top and bottom or a sweat pant and a loose top. You could bring toiletries and bring your own pillow.
I was admitted to the Sleep Study area of the hospital and was taken to my bedroom. The nurse came in and explained that I would be given time to relax by reading or watching television. You could also bring in light snack food and bottled water. About 8 p.m. the nurse came into my room and told me she had to prepare me for my sleep studies. She placed electrode patches on various places on my scalp, face, arms and legs. Then long wires were attached to these electrodes and finally connected to a small bedside monitor. She also let me practice with a breathing device which was placed over my nose. This device was attached to long plastic tube which was connected to a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine that was placed at my bedside. The nurse explained that the CPAP machine would flow pressurized air through my nose and keep my airway open when I laid down to sleep. I would also be monitored by a camera all night and a call light was placed at my bedside, as getting out of bed was difficult due to the wires that were attached to your arms and legs.
Falling asleep wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. But I drifted off to sleep after a few episodes of tossing and turning. At about 12midnight, I was awakened by the nurse and given the nose piece to put on. This nose piece was held in place with a elastic strap placed over my head by my ears. Falling back asleep with this device attached to my nose was the hardest thing I ever had to do. I had to concentrate on keeping my mouth closed because as soon as I started to fall asleep my mouth breathing habit would take over and I would wake up with the air rushing out through my mouth. After a few episodes of mouth breathing, the nurse returned to my room and placed a chinstrap that kept my mouth from opening. I struggled with that chinstrap and needless to say it was a long night. In the morning the nurse gave me some information about my oxygen level without the breathing device. The normal oxygen level is 90-100%. I was at 65% oxygen level and that is not a good level.
Within a week of the Sleep Study I was using the CPAP machine every night and after one month of changing nose pieces I found that I could not tolerate the CPAP machine. I was placed on oxygen with the nasal cannula tubing which did not require the pressurized oxygen.
I also learned that sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that could lead to other problems such as heart problems. The risk factors related to snoring are heart attack, high blood pressure, stroke, heart failure, and increased tiredness and sleep apnea.
Do not be afraid to let your doctor know about your abnormal sleeping habits. It could help prevent future health problems and give you a good night's rest and peace of mind.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea is an illness that many people fail to recognize until after the symptoms have caused grief to the family and employers. In fact, the spouse is often the first one to realize that there may be a physical reason for the odd behaviors and symptoms of someone suffering from sleep apnea (OSA).
Someone suffering from this sleep disorder will often snore very loudly. The snoring may be so loud, in fact, that his or her partner gets little sleep. Someone with OSA will also appear to stop breathing for a second or two during sleep, which looks like they're temporarily holding their breath. The subsequent lack of oxygen causes them to be startled awake, but often they are completely unaware that they wake up many times during the night. Since the individual usually drops back to sleep almost immediately, and then begins snoring again, partners often believes they are the only ones missing sleep. This can be a severe strain on the relationship, especially if the person with OSA refuses to seek treatment.
It may look as though an individual with this sleep disorder is getting lots of sleep, so it seems strange to others if the individual has difficulty staying awake during the daytime, even dropping off to sleep at inappropriate times. They may have difficulty concentrating, and appear depressed. Because they really aren't getting quality sleep during the night, they may also have a reduced interest in sex, and other personality changes can also occur. Some of these symptoms are similar to common mental health disorders, and others are seen by friends and coworkers as symptoms of laziness or sloth. This judgement can add to the individual's stress, and can make relationship problems even worse.
If someone you know who suffers from these symptoms, it would be wise to encourage them to see their doctor. The snoring and obstructed breathing during sleep usually have a physical cause, which may vary from one individual to another. There may be an obstruction in the upper airway due to excess tissue caused by obesity, or the tonsils or tongue may be too large. In addition, the airway muscles are usually relaxed or collapse during sleep.
Some of the causes of sleep apnea are also associated with other life-threatening conditions. A proper diagnosis is important, because if the individual goes without treatment he or she will have an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, irregular heartbeat, and other forms of heart disease. In addition to the physical risks of this sleep disorder, relationships with families, friends and employers may continue to suffer. Productivity at work will go down because the individual is so abnormally sleepy, and it can become dangerous to work with heavy equipment or drive an automobile.
There are a number of ways that obstructive sleep apnea can be treated, including the use of a C-PAP (continous positive airway pressure) machine. This machine has a nose mask that is worn during sleep. The C-PAP machine keeps air blowing into the nose, which will keep the airway open. If obesity is a causitive factor in sleep apnea, as it often is, the patient will be advised to slim down. Weight loss is almost always accompanied by a complete cessation of sleep apnea symptoms, and for this reason some obese OSA patients are opting for gastric bypass surgery.
Because sleep apnea may be caused by a variety of factors, and because the symptoms could also be caused by sleep disorders other then OSA, a diagnosis by a qualified professional is needed before treatment can begin. Your doctor will usually prescribe a sleep test, which is done by a specialized clinic. This test is usually covered by medical insurance, but it is always a good idea to call your insurance carrier to see if they require you to visit a clinic that is contracted with them. The results of the sleep test will tell your doctor if any form or respiratory equipment is required, or if surgery is indicated. Experimental treatments, such as the Radio Frequency Procedure developed by Stanford University, will probably not be covered by your insurance.
Do you snore, or do you sleep with someone who snores so loudly that you can't get any sleep? It's time to see a doctor to find out if sleep apnea is to blame.
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