By Dr. Barry Chase – My uncle Stu loves people. He spent his professional career working in retail for the department store Korvettes, now no longer in business. As a buyer for the store he did not have any contact with the customers and felt he missed his calling. He finished his stay with the company in Detroit, Michigan. When he retired, he moved to Florida and became and EMT (emergency medical technician). Finally, he could truly help people and feels fulfilled in the new found passion for his job. Stu works 3 days a week, but also enjoys the relaxation of his Florida lifestyle.
Although he loves to help patients, he endangers people’s lives every time he gets behind the wheel of his car. He stops at a red light and the driver in the car behind him would honk the horn several times before he steps on the gas. No, he is not texting or making a phone call. Stu is dozing. He also finds himself having trouble staying awake during long drives especially on the Florida Turnpike. “No big deal”, he says, “I just turn up the radio and open the window to get some fresh air”. Stu, now 66 years old, attributes his sleepiness to his retired lifestyle.
His wife, my aunt Arlene, watches his eyes close as he sits at the red traffic light and gives him a gentle poke. She offers to drive, but Stu is from that generation where the man does the driving as a courtesy to his wife.
Stu resisted getting a sleep study because he felt he did not fit the profile of a man that has sleep apnea. He plays golf 3 to 4 times a weeks, walks and carries his own bag. He is in good shape, watches his diet, is not overweight, and does not snore heavily while sleeping.
Then one day, in the car while on the driveway, he fell asleep and his foot relaxed off the brake. He drove straight into the garage door. That was the last straw and Arlene called his physician who sent Stu for a sleep study.
During the study, while Stu slept in the lab at night, they measured his brain waves, heart beats, pulse, oxygen levels, breathing and other parameters. Stu was shocked at the results.
The test showed that Stu stopped breathing 25 times every hour during which his oxygen levels fell from 97% saturated in his blood to 73%. He got very little dream sleep (REM) and no deep sleep. No wonder why Stu was sleepy during the day. Stu was diagnosed with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea.
During the consultation with his doctor, Stu was told that the most concerning number was the low levels of oxygen in his blood that occurred during some of the apnea events. The doctor explained that the low levels of oxygen can lead to heart attacks, strokes, cardiovascular disease, memory loss, dementia, and can even be a contributing factor for Alzheimer’s disease. Sleep apnea is also associated with weight gain, adult type II Diabetes, mood disorders (particularly depression and anxiety), GERD (acid reflux), muscle cramps, joint aches, and high blood pressure. Sleep apnea can increase health dangers if one already has high cholesterol, atrial fibrillation and other cardiac arrhythmias, pulmonary disorders (chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma), chronic pain, and neurologic and psychiatric dysfunctions.
My aunt Arlene went with Stu to the consultation because, as with most men, Stu would “conveniently forget” to tell the doctor some important information. Arlene said that Stu was frequently waking up at night, often would stop breathing, was able to go to sleep quickly but awakened 2 hours later and had trouble getting back to sleep, and arose in the morning feeling unrefreshed complaining of headaches.
Stu relented and admitted Arlene was right. He suffered from very poor sleep and was sneaking in daytime naps when he could.
The doctor ordered a C-PAP machine for Stu. The machine changed Stu’s life. He is now getting 7 hours of continuous sleep and feels refreshed and energetic in the morning.
The best news is that he is not falling asleep at red traffic lights and my aunt Arlene feels safer when driving with him. He now even lets her drive once in a while. But he complains that she moves the mirrors and driver’s seat. However, they have been married for 40 years, likes the same oldies from the 1950’s, and enjoy their most favorite thing to do, visit the grandchildren back in Michigan.
My attempts at solving my OSA problem run the gammet. My wife sewed a pocket in the back of a T-shirt in which I put a tennis ball to keep me from sleeping on my back. It woke me up. I tried C-PAP and C-PAP with humidifier. I hated it – the tubing, the leaky mask. I had the surgery to remove my tonsils and other excess tissue. I had just as many OSA episodes per hour after the surgery as before. What works for me is an oral appliance from the American Sleep Association in Utah. It is like a mouth guard athletes use, except it fits on both upper and lower teeth. It brings my lower jaw forward a little and opens my airway virtually eliminating both my snoring and my apnea. Sounds almost too simple, but it works for me. Being covered by Medicare, I had no out-of-pocket expenses. I would never go back to C-PAP. Oh, and you don’t have to go to Utah. They sent me the stuff to make the molds of my teeth and it’s all done by mail. As a bonus, the appliance serves as a night guard, which my dentist said I needed because I grind my teeth while sleeping.
Randy, which device did you use. I did a sleep study, but was told that I did not wake up enough to warrant an C-PAP. I still stop breathing and wake up at night and have difficulty going back to sleep. Would be interested in getting a device but can’t qualify for a C-PAP.
I was diagnosed with sleep apnea when I was about 40 years old after dealing with lack of sleep for probably ten years before that. I was waking up at night GASPING for air and waking myself up snoring, etc. i didn’t know what it was back then, but my Dr. advised me to have a sleep study and I don’t know how many times I quit breathing at night, but they said I needed a CPAP machine or check with my ENT Dr. I checked with the ENT and had surgery after being diagnosed with a deviated septum and other things such as needing my tonsis/adnoids out and that little “boxing” pouch hanging in the back of my throat.. That was 17 years ago and thank the LORD, walla, I was basically cured and try to keep my weight in check, but sleep pretty good these years… May want to check with your ENT also, if you haven’t had your tonsils, etc taken out as a child. As an adult, I missed not getting all the ice cream i could eat after the surgeries or being hauled out to the car after surgery in a little red wagon. My life changed drastically after the surgery!
I have severe sleep apna and could not use the cpap, there are alternatives to the cpap such as an oral appliance which is as far as I am concerned my only choice as no matter what I tried with a cpap machine I couldn’t sleep. Please if your going to have an article you really should list all possible treatments, especially when it’s such a life threatening condition.
Walt Whitfield! Sorry, Walt. ~~ Mike W.
Walt Whitman,
I had the same problem you have–wrestling with the mask and hose, etc. I solved it! I now sleep in a recliner. I was able to relieve the pressure of the mask against my face. The mask stays in place because I’m not thrashing around in bed. The hose is no bother–it goes over my left should and stays that way. I am now getting the sleep I need–no wrestling with the hose and lighter pressure on my face. That’s three out of three, my friend. Try it. See if it helps you the way it helped me. If so, pay me back with a cure for arthritis! LOL!
I have several sleep studies and have used a CPAP for quite a few years now. However I still have trouble in the fact that I still do not feel totally refreshed when I wake in the morning. I subconsciously wrestle with mask and tube all night long. I do not stop breathing with the mask as much as I did without it. I have talked to my doctor but I am still not rested when I wake in the a.m. Oh how I wish for a restful night sleep.
Being a sleep medicine specialist myself, I can tell you that CPAP/BiPAP/APAP can be life-saving and life changing for sufferers. If you’ve been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), your risk of dying from a stroke or cardiac event is much higher. Don’t give up on finding a way to make your PAP device work for you, and keep going back to your doctor to make it happen. Some tips that are also helpful:
1. Lose weight. The more you lose, the less severe your apnea = lower PAP pressure = better tolerated treatment.
2. If a nasal mask doesn’t work, try nasal pillows and vice-versa. A full face mask is another option. Also, there are at least 5-20 different types of each of these.
3. See an ENT for difficulty breathing through your nose. Aggressive treatment for nasal allergies helps tremendously. Occasionally, a deviated nasal septum or nasal polyps are the problem, and fixing these can help greatly. Sometimes, a septoplasty procedure has helped significantly.
4. Try to use a humidifier. Inadequate humidification can cause swelling of nasal tissues, impairing breathing.
5. Weight gain or loss over time will necessitate a change in your pressure requirements. OSA is NOT a stable condition.
6. Avoid sedating drugs, like sleeping pills, which worsen OSA.
7. Clean masks daily, filters weekly, and change humidifier water at least every 2-3 days. Daily is better.
8. Get enough sleep. You still need 7.5-8 hours a night. Keep your room cool, dark, and quiet.
9. Exercise daily. This helps with weight loss and improves the quality of your sleep.
10. Don’t give up! Keep finding something that works so you can use your PAP. New technology comes out all the time. Things like chin straps, oil of eucalyptus (1 drop per gallon of humidifier water), side sleeping, using PAP for at least half the night, a longer ramp time, switching from CPAP to BiPAP, etc. can all be helpful.
Having used CPAP for several years, I no longer view it as a inconvenience but now a life style to good health. The snoring & stoppage of breathing no longer occurs. If you are constantly drowsy, with low energy levels, having to take naps throughout the day, you are most likely suffering from sleep apnea. Schedule a Sleep Study without hesitation. Your brain cells will thank you
I had a sleep study done one year ago and was diagnosed with a mild sleep apnea. My ENT doctor said it was not urgent that I be fitted with a CPAP but highly recommended it. At her urging I reluctantly was fit with a CPAP and than decided that I could never be comfortable with a mask and tubing. My ENT doctor than suggested that I explore a mouth piece that would push my lower jaw forward slightly which in turn would keep my Epiglottis from closing during deep sleep and hence eliminate periods that I would stop breathing. I was fitted with this device by a Dentist who only specializes in fitting these devices for sleep apnea. To date I have been pleased with the device, although it does require patience to get used to have a mouth piece both on my upper and lower teeth. My wife has said she no longer hears me snoring and my quality of sleep has improved.
I lost my CDL due to sleep apnea. They used a Cpap , then APAP. Neither worked for me. I stopped treatment because I’m now on SSDI but have to pay for medical and even at that I owe the Dr. So much money he put me in for collections and stopped treatment. Now Obummercare is raising my ins. 94.06 a MONTH! So if Sleep Apnea doesn’t kill me, Obama will. I worked 48 years and I’m 62. I don’t feel I deserved this from my Country.
Irvin, I feel for you. Get a mouth guard – the dental appliance other people here have described. It is a godsend!
My CPAP machine was a life changer for me. Now I get sufficient sleep and can make it through the day without always feeling sleepy. I still take a nap some days, but at 71 am not really concerned about it. Even with a nap, I still sleep well at night.
I was diagnosed with Sleep Apnea in 2003. I never learned to use the CPAP machine correctly, and could not get use of it for anything. I could not go to sleep with it blowing in my face. I think I was able to sleep with it on only one time in a year, so I sent it back. I learned to sleep on my side with my wife’s help waking me up if I snored. This way I was able to get better sleep than before. In 2012 I noticed I was falling asleep more often in daytime and knew the Sleep Apnea had gotten worse. By this time I was retired and getting my health benefits from the VA. I told my primary care doctor about what I noticed and was sent for sleep study. My Sleep Apnea was really bad, I stopped breathing 130 times an hour, double the amount from the 2003 study. One thing I have to give the VA, they really worked with me to find a mask that I could sleep with, and medication that helped my sinuses and a really good sleep medication because after a really good night of sleep I found I could not fall asleep the following night. I do feel much better now and wake up refreshed and rested. My advice – Don’t give up like I did. Keep working with your doctor and tell him the problems you are having, they have much better equipment now days, and it surely can save your life.
I too have sleep apnea I found that a new mask on the market makes me forget i have a mask on.
“ResMed AirFit P10.” mask complete is about 100$ and nose pillows about $20.
Look it up on line. Its worth a try you may get a good nights sleep!!!
Uncle Stu sounds exactly like me except I stopped breathing 71 times an hour. Dr said if I could not adapt to the CPAP I would require supplemental oxygen overnight since my drop was so significant.
My wife calls using the CPAP a life changing event which it really has been. I retired since on my job I had to drive over 900 miles weekly and I was falling asleep more & more each day while on the road, scary.
I was one of those people who said I could never sleep with the mask and all of that tubing. There are so many options that finding a comfortable mask is a must before leaving the sleep center. A good technician will be sure that you have the correct fit, most optimal pressure and comfortable mask before you ever plug it into a CPAP at home. After the initial sleep test, I spent one night at the sleep center to determine which was the best for me. That night, in a strange environment, I slept a full 7 hours, never waking at all and felt the most refreshed I had felt in years. Needless to say, I was sold.
If you are as stubborn as I was and think there is no way you could sleep with the CPAP and mask, just try it and I assure you that you are in for a life changing event of your own.
I was diagnosed with Sleep Apnea (pretty severe) back in 2002. The doctor told me that I could wear a CPAP machine or die- my choice. It was stated that I would feel 100% better and have tremendous energy. Sorry, it never happened. It stopped most of the snoring so my wife could sleep, but I still feel tired. I will say that if I don’t wear it my sinuses are horrible the next morning and it does make me sleep better. It probably saved my life, but in 2009 I had a quad by-pass. So bottom line from only my experience- it doesn’t do everything the doctors say, but it is so much better than not wearing it. My advise- use one!!!