Very Important
I love it when sleep apnea questions come up and always have to respond to them!!
IM 31 and was diagnosed with S.A. when i was 27. The sad thing is that i had to basically diagnose myself with it and demand a test.I was told for years that it was my fault and i wasnt getting enough sleep, which i was, or that i was just depressed, and put on a cocktail of drugs. I was finally sent to an ENT(ear,nose,throught)doctor who just looked up my nose and down my throught and said its possible because of my tonsils, enlarged back of tongue and deviated septum(i was not overweight at all and never have been my whole life).
The doctor set me up with a sleep lab to see if i have it and if so, how bad. It wasnt to bad. They hook you up to a ton of wires all over your head and body, but once in the room it was just like a hotel room aside from some cameras and machines next to the bed. but i could watch tv till i got tired. Finally fell asleep and got 6 hours of sleep. But heres the Kicker. I asked if i had it and how many apneas i had, and she said yes and i had 260 apneas a night!
That means my body woke itself up over 60 times every hour!! so i went sleep deprived 27 years! Got hooked on drugs at an eary age because they made me feel so good and awake.All throughtout school i slept in every class(passed because i did my homework real fast in homeroom everyday copying of friends). Had no people or social skills. And fell into a job that was very physical because otherwise i would fall asleep sitting at a desk or something. And the line of work eventually caused me more health problems.
Does Reggie Jackson name ring a bell??? famous football player died, and it was because they found out later he had sleep apnea and never got treated.
Over 18 million people have sleep apnea in the US and 2 million children. In fact 75% of kids diagnosed with adhd dont really have adhd. And doctors are prescribing hardcore drugs to these children.
The consequences of sleep apnea range from annoying to life-threatening. They include depression, irritability, sexual dysfunction, learning and memory difficulties, and falling asleep while at work, on the phone, or driving. It has been estimated that up to 50 percent of sleep apnea patients have high blood pressure. Although it is not known with certainty if there is a cause and effect relationship, it appears that sleep apnea contributes to high blood pressure. Risk for heart attack and stroke may also increase in those with sleep apnea. In addition, sleep apnea is sometimes implicated in sudden infant death syndrome.
And there is a cure to sleep apnea folks. Something the drug companies dont want people to probably know. But the fact is that it will somehow, depending on the severity, shorten your life! And guys, how does the fact of being impotent make you feel. Or depression because your not getting the sleep you need.
IM sorry this is a long post but i am passionate about this topic because it can so easily be screened for and cure or alleviate so many differern health issues. Who knows how my life could have been if i knew at a younger age.
And yes i wear the headgear cpap machin that pushes air through just my nose. But there is new innovations out there now where you can get custom made mouth pieces that can help those who arent severe cases. There is even equipement that your regular physician can buy where they can check to see if you have sleep apnea and it takes no more then 10 minutes. Also there is a small device your doctor can send you home with that connects to an ipod, which they supply, and instead ogf going to a sleep lab you can do it at home! Alot cheaper and most insurance covers it. the equipement is cheap for doctors to purchase but yet very few have it.
Think about giong to the doctor and telling him how your always tired and feel your not sleeping good. He prescribes you sleep meds that help to keep you asleep. well when you have an apnea your body send a signal to wake up, your chocking, and that drug is fighting it. Or meds like anti-anxiety or muscle relaxers that cause worsening of sleep apnea because muslces in your throught relax more and fall back and block your breathing airway. And we wonder why people just die for no reason in there sleep.
If your a parent get your kids tonsils out. And find a doctor who is on the patients side and not the drug companies side.
I dont want to run on any longer. but if you have any questions please send me a private mesage or ask here. either way, ill answer any questions because its such an important topic that needs more exposure. And the number one sign is of course snoring. But there are others. And there are easier,more comfortable and cheaper ways to find out if you have it or not. And if you have it, it doesnt mean you have to wear a mask!! You can get a specialized mouth peice just for your specific condition! Dont let it ruin your life!!
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