Do you have sleep apnea?

Question

Do you have to sleep EVERYNIGHT with a breathing machine? to cure it? (My doctor thinks I have it...and I have a sleep study in a few days) Just wondered how this is cured.

Answer 1

I have sleep apnea -- a mixed apnea with both obstructive and central apneas. There are several cures for apnea, depending on which you are diagnosed with. If you are prescribed a CPAP or BiPAP, it is a device having a 99% cure rate. Some apneas can be cured with surgery, and some require surgery and a C/BiPAP...and some only the machine.

It's a hard "pill" to swallow when you think of having to use it every night for the rest of your life. However, think of the alternatives: daytime sleepiness, chronic fatigue, snoring so bad that you stop breathing, heart disease, high blood pressure, heart failure, stroke or death.

Do you realize if you're healthy now (except for your sleep apnea), non-compliance with treatment methods could cause heart disease down the road? I don't know about you or anyone else, but I choose the CPAP machine. New machines are VERY quiet and there are MANY masks to choose from that are minimally invasive and made for your comfort.

Trust me - I understand your sense of apprehension. Before my study I was instructed on apnea and the cures. I knew that I would choose surgery before sleeping with a machine every night. However, surgery was not an option...but a CPAP gave a 100% cure rate. Good odds, in my book.

Hope you have the results you're looking for. But don't worry about "the machine." The alternatives are much worse.

Answer 2

Well to begin with, what is the cause of your sleep apnea? If its psychological, it can be cured this way. If its physical (say you have something physically blocking the airpath like I had) you need surgery to fix it.

Anyways, the breathing machine doesnt sure it. And no, you dont need it everynight. In fact, you never need it. But if you dont use it, you wont get a good nights sleep.

So there you have it. The machine just helps you have a completely satisfying sleep. You wont be cured with it, only seeing a psychiatrist or a surgeon will fix it (depending whats causing it.)

So I would suggest using it whenever you can. But if you are sleeping with other people, like a sleepover for example, you dont need it. You will just wake up a little more tired than you would be if you had used it.

Good luck

Answer 3

I am not certain, but Apnea can get worse. So perhaps you had it in a milder form till now. I have never had problems till a couple years ago after surgery I was told that I had a sleep disorder. It turns out that my shallow breathing wakes me up about 26 times an hour (not all the way, just keeps me out of REM sleep). I'm also a Heroic snorer.

Answer 4

Tretamnets For Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a breathing disorder involving recurrent uneasy and interrupted breathing during sleep, which leads to discontinuity in the patient’s sleep.

Mild to moderate sleep apnea lasts for about 10 – 30 seconds while in severe cases it may last up to 3 minutes. Estimates show that United States alone has over 12 million people suffering from this condition.

Sleep apnea can be of 2 types. Obstructive Sleep Apnea leads to recurrent hypoxemia with awakening while Central Sleep Apnea involves problems in the breathing centers in the brain.

Chief symptoms of sleep apnea are loud snoring, excessive sleeping in the daytime (hypersomnolence) and restless sleep. Besides these, it is also associated with choking or gasping during sleep, unrefreshing sleep, , poor judgment etc.

The aim of any treatment is to keep the airway patent and avert any pauses in the breathing. Numerous methods are used such as avoidance of alcohol and CNS depressants near bedtime, weight reduction and sleep posture modification.

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) prevents collapse of throat by blowing pressurized air through the nose gently.

Oral or dental appliances can open the space behind the throat by relocating the lower jaw and the tongue.

Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) is a common procedure which broadens the airway by removing the surplus tissue such as tonsils, adenoids, uvula etc.

Laser-assisted Uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP) is opted to either remove a part of the soft palate, shorten the uvula or any other extra tissue in the pharynx, which may cause obstruction.

Tracheostomy is a method to make an opening in the trachea, which is also known as the windpipe. A tube is inserted through the opening and is opened only while sleeping so as to facilitate direct passage of air to the lungs.

If you or anyone you know suffers from similar complaints, it is advised to see a physician, as it is a serious condition requiring immediate medical attention.

Answer 5

There are a few different ways to cure sleep apnea and I found a website that may help you out. Hope everything works out OK for you.

Answer 6

hi everyone ,if anyone else is searching for best treatment for sleep apnea try Imforda Sleep Expert Guide(do a search on google ) ? Ive heard some amazing things about it and my co-worker got great results with it.

Answer 7

my husband has had sleep apnea for years, and for years has been using a cpap breathing machine every night. (we've named it "darth" because it sounds like darth vadar) darth goes every where with us when we travel, and i myself have trouble sleeping without hearing darth in the background. darth does not cure the sleep apnea, it merely assists with adequate and consistant breathing all through the night. your doctor should be able to advise you of your options for treatment, if you do indeed have the disorder. good luck with your sleep study!!

Answer 8

the CPAP machine is not a cure
it's like taking a tablet-if you stop the symptoms are still there
not too hard to get used to
you feel years younger when use it-correct amount of sleep
most people that need CPAP are overweight and need to lose weight to improve their sleep
if they suggest either nose or throat surgery think very carefully -it's only a 50/50 chance it will help

Answer 9

You can find informations about sleep apnea
at http://tinyurl.com/jfzpz

Answer 10

Try putting carrots on your eyes. it prevents dyna.