breathing??

Question

yesterday night my dad was sleeping and suddenly he couldnt breath properly. i gave him some water and he got his breath back. what could this be. he is also diabetic its happened to him once before like 5 days ago. i think its because his throat was dry hes 45 yrs old hes average i wouldn't say hes really fat hes a bit fat

he said it felt like his throat was blocked and he couldnt get oxygen in

Answer 1

Yep, the other answers are right sounds like sleep apnea. Your father should see a doc as soon as possible! Good luck and I wish you both the best! :)

Sleep apnea, sleep apnoea or sleep apnœa is a sleep disorder characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep. These episodes, called apneas (literally, "without breath"), each last long enough so one or more breaths are missed, and occur repeatedly throughout sleep. The standard definition of any apneic event includes a minimum 10 second interval between breaths, with either a neurological arousal (3-second or greater shift in EEG frequency, measured at C3, C4, O1, or O2), or a blood oxygen desaturation of 3-4 percent or greater, or both arousal and desaturation. Sleep apnea is diagnosed with an overnight sleep test called a polysomnogram.

Clinically significant levels of sleep apnea are defined as 5 events of any type or greater per hour of sleep time (from the polysomnogram). There are two distinct forms of sleep apnea: Central and Obstructive. Breathing is interrupted by the lack of effort in central sleep apnea; in obstructive sleep apnea, breathing is interrupted by a physical block to airflow despite effort. In mixed sleep apnea, there is a transition from central to obstructive features during the events themselves.

Regardless of type, the individual with sleep apnea is rarely aware of having difficulty breathing, even upon awakening. Sleep apnea is recognized as a problem by others witnessing the individual during episodes or is suspected because of its effects on the body (sequelae). Symptoms may be present for years, even decades without identification, during which time the sufferer may become conditioned to the daytime sleepiness and fatigue associated with significant levels of sleep disturbance.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_apnea

Answer 2

I haven't had a good breath in a month now. Every time I try, I cough. You just made me cough with this question. Oh so sick. But the doc gave me tussin with codeine. And that makes me happy, even though I still can't breathe. I also got an inhaler for the first time in my life. I've been wanting one since I was 5 years old because I thought they were "cool". Now I'm cool. *coughs* *smokes another cigarette*

Answer 3

This is IMPORTANT..

Correct me if i was wrong.. your father woke up from sleep complaining from acute and sever breathlessness that if you remember well did not go away unless when your father sit upright in the bed gasping for air..

in medicine, this is called Paroxysmal Nocturnal Dyspnea (PND).. and taking in account your father's history of DM this increases the likelihood of having such a condition..

if you want to know the mechanism.. after lying down to sleep the bodily fluid are reabsorbed from tissues into plasma (blood) and then redistributed into lungs..

ADVICE: make an appointment with a doctor preferably a cardiologist ASAP..

Answer 4

He may be experiencing sleep apnea. He needs to see the doctor and schedule a sleep study.

Answer 5

it's called sleep apnea,

http://www.helpguide.org/life/sleep_apnea.htm

and if he has it this badly he needs to see a doctor..they will do a sleep study... and determine how bad it is...

there some things they can do..

but one of the best thing to do is loose weight..

Answer 6

I agree it could be sleep apnea... but it needs to be diagnosed by a doctor... it can be very dangerous... does he have acid reflux?? could also be that, but again, tell him to see the doc.. good luck

Answer 7

you describe classic symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea, he needs a sleep study ASAP.