When Snoring Isn’t Just Snoring
By: Ginger | October 10, 2008 | Category: Health
Jake wrote about his diagnosis of sleep apnea. I also suffer from sleep apnea. Yes, women can have it too! Not all snorers have sleep apnea, but snoring is one of the indicators. When my doctor asked me about snoring, I told her that I didn’t snore. After all, my husband had never mentioned it. Wow, was I wrong. My husband never told me about my snoring, because he thought I would be embarrassed. Apparently, I sounded like a pig sniffing out truffles!
My doctor suspected a sleep disorder, so I went for a sleep study. No wonder I was so messed up. I had severe sleep apnea, so I was prescribed a CPAP. I went for a second sleep study to determine the correct CPAP setting and mask.
My CPAP mask fits over my nose and blows air continuously. It keeps my airways open while I am sleeping. It’s not sexy to look at, nor the most comfortable thing to wear, but the CPAP helped me get my life back to normal.
Before getting my CPAP, I had trouble staying awake while driving. It was dangerous not just for me, but for everyone on the road with me. Think about how many people are on the road driving with untreated sleep apnea. It’s scary! If you are prescribed a CPAP, it should be worn every time you sleep, and you should take it with you when you travel.
General anesthesia and pain medicines can worsen sleep apnea. Tell medical staff about your sleep apnea prior to surgeries. I even brought my CPAP with me for an outpatient surgery. They didn’t put it on me in the recovery room. I woke up to frantic people doing things to resuscitate me. My recollection of the event is a little confusing, but I do recall a hose the size of a boa constrictor (or so it seemed) being pulled out of my nose. I was a little disappointed with my near death experience (no white light or angels), but I was happy to be alive.
I just shared embarrassing details about my snoring and that lovely CPAP picture. It’s only fair that you share your sleep apnea stories with me. Do you, or someone you know, suffer from sleep apnea?
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Another bonus is that he can't talk when he's got it on so I like to save the more touchy topics that I need to bring up for after he's put his mask on and gotten comfortable for the night - hehe.
Now, I'm working on my mom who will only do something if she wants to and has decided that it's just too weird sleeping with a mask on her face. Luckily, I've gotten a little bit of her stubbornness so we'll see who wins that fight.
If you think you've got this problem, get it check out. Yes, it might be expensive depending on your insurance or lack there of but it's worth it in the long run!
And if you're one of those "tough guys/girls" that think you're ok and can deal with it - think about whoever is next to you watching you struggle and fight for air, wondering when you're going to start breathing again and get it checked out!!!
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Instead, I found that I stopped breathing about 500 times a night, with some instances of not breathing lasting as long as 90 seconds. I was initially very resistant to the CPAP machine. The sleep specialist told me I had two other options:
1) I could die of apnea induced heart stress sometime in my mid 40s.
2) I could have a tracheotomy.
After that, the machine sounded good. And over the years there has been a marked improvement in my daytime energy levels. Even when I think I'm not really sleeping well anymore, just a night without CPAP reminds I really am.
Thanks for sharing your story.
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noise i cant hear seems im used to certain noises i dont take any notice of noises once i determine what they are i think thats what i do when im asleep.
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The other thing you might want to consider is wearing a medical alert bracelet. This will alert emergency medical staff to your condition should you be unconscious and unable to tell them.
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I have a friend who refuses to wear her CPAP. I don't think she liked hearing it, but I told her that her refusal to wear her CPAP wasn't just putting her own life at risk. She babysits for her daughter. It is especially disturbing to me to see her drive her grand-babies around in her car when I know she has a pretty significant sleep apnea problem. I know that she is putting her grandchildren at risk. She insists that she doesn't drive when she is tired, but I know how it is. Before I was diagnosed, I would get to work and not remember how I got there. I also didn't realize that I was dozing off at traffic lights.
So, keep trying to convince you mom as best you can!
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Another thing I experienced was nocturia. I would go to the bathroom 4-6 times a night. I noticed problems with my memory and I began having significant trouble thinking. I was getting easily confused. Normally, I am a pretty balanced person, but simple problems would completely throw me and I started to have panic attacks. The quality of my life had gone down hill drastically. All of those problems corrected themselves once I got a proper diagnosis and a CPAP to correct the solution.
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So glad that you were able to find a diagnosis and solution to your health problem. Take care and keep breathing!
Nancy
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