Diagnosed With Sleep Apnea

A little over a week ago I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea, a condition that while not limited to those being overweight is certainly likely to target that group at a higher rate.  As a public service announcement I’d like to educate my fellow fatbloggers in the hopes that should you be exhibiting any of the symptoms of sleep apnea that you get yourself checked out.

What is sleep apnea?

From this article:

People with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) experience recurrent episodes during sleep when their throat closes and they cannot suck air into their lungs (apnea). This happens because the muscles that normally hold the throat open during wakefulness relax during sleep and allow it to narrow. When the throat is partially closed and/or the muscles relax too much, trying to inhale will suck the throat completely closed and air cannot pass at all. This is an obstructive sleep apnea episode.

A cessation of breathing must last 10 seconds or more to be called an apnea. Obstructive apnea episodes can last as long as two minutes and are almost always associated with a reduction in the level of oxygen in the blood. When an individual is in the midst of an obstructive sleep apnea episode, as long as sleep continues, the apnea continues. It is only terminated and the victim’s life is saved by waking up. This arousal instantly increases the activity of the muscles of the tongue and throat muscles that enlarge the airway. The victim will be able to breathe and to once again fill the lungs with life-giving oxygen. This cycle may be repeated hundreds of times a night while the sufferer has no idea it is happening.

What are the symptoms of sleep apnea?

For years I had prided myself on my ability to “fall asleep on a dime” literally any time of day.  As it turns out it wasn’t something to be proud of – it was a symptom of sleep apnea.  Here is a list of symptoms:

• Fatigue and tiredness during the day
• Loud snoring, especially if punctuated by brief periods of silence or choking sounds
• Snorting, gasping, choking during sleep
• Feeling that sleep is strangely unrefreshing

I gradually developed these symptoms as I gained weight and I attributed them to my just being heavier.  But in my case it was something else – I had sleep apnea.

Do you have sleep apnea?

If you have the symptoms of sleep apnea and want to see if you have it the answer is as simple as getting a referal to a sleep clinic.  I did this during my annual physical but I would imagine you could arrange for this at any time.  Don’t be afraid of having a sleep study, it was actually very interesting.  Read about my visit to the sleep clinic and you’ll see it is no big deal.  In my case I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea which means I was having over 35 apnea episodes a minute.  My bloog oxygen level was dipping down to 80% which is simply not good.

Treatment for sleep apnea

While there are a few different treatments for sleep apnea the most common one, and the one I am on, is called a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine.  It’s a small machine that is hooked to a nasal mask (some are full face masks) that you wear to bed.  It’s connected to a pump that forces air into the nasal passages at pressures high enough to overcome obstructions in the airway and stimulate normal breathing. The airway pressure delivered into the upper airway is continuous during both inspiration and expiration.

After being on the CPAP machine for a week I can confirm that it works.  My wife says I no longer snore and I do feel better during the day.  Not perfect yet because I am still getting adjusted to it, but better enough to know it is working.

Don’t be afraid, get check out

If you have any of the symptoms of sleep apena please do yourself and your family a favor and get checked out.  It’s easy to do and it could extend your life.

Already diagnosed with sleep apnea but don’t get treatment?  Get on the machine!

I hope for your sake you don’t have this problem but if you do please seek help.

Anyone else have sleep apnea?  Let is know in the comments!