A recent National Sleep Foundation alert mentioned a new section of the NY Times I had never heard of before called Patient Voices – interesting article about Sleep Apnea patients. I thought it offered some real life experiences for other to learn from. If you have ever wondered whether you might be suffering from sleep apnea or someone you know might be, I encourage you to visit the site and listen to the voices of some who never would of thought they had it either.
Remember sleep apnea is where you stop breathing for about 10 seconds repeatedly throughout the night. One of the biggest signs of sleep apnea is heavy snoring. NSF reports more than 18 million American adults have sleep apnea.
I would like to list some important points the patients made. Do you have a similar story to any of these patients?
Patient 1:
Thought he was just a bad sleeper. Tried changing his pillows and mattress. Tried using earplugs and noise machines. Thought it was the traffic out the window or a lingering problem from a broken nose that was causing him to sleep poorly.
Finally discovered sleep apnea was the cause, had the surgery, and now feels more rested and happier.
Patient 2:
She use to have to nap twice a day and greatly limit her social activities.
Now with CPAP (a mask that helps you breath at night) she has more energy and performs better at work.
Patient 3:
A friend convinced him to get a sleep test to see if sleep apnea was an underlying cause of his heart problems. His father and 2 brothers died of heart attacks, and all 3 snored loudly like he does. The test showed he never went into deep sleep and did have sleep apnea.
After his first night with CPAP he felt so rested he jumped out of bed with energy. Now he doesn’t need as much sleep because he’s getting good quality sleep. CPAP might not be convenient but he said it’s that or risk dying. He suspects sleep apnea was a factor his father and brothers deaths.
Now he has no more headaches or heart problems and has energy to workout 3 times a week.
Patient 4:
Patient had bronchitis 5 times in 8 months and finally discovered it was caused by acid reflux, a common side effect of sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea was for people who were overweight and older, so she thought. Being young and thin, she never suspected it. She thought her exhaustion and irritability was a result of her very stressful job and because she worked and traveled a lot.
Choosing surgery, which she said was very painful, gave her immediate improvement in her breathing. She said it was like someone took their hand off of her mouth.
She urges that sleep apnea should get the same consideration as heart disease or any other life threatening condition.
Patient 5:
He could no longer sleep in the same room with his wife because his snoring was so bad. He believes his sleep apnea began when he was 18, since he often woke up with a sore throat and a raspy voice. The problem grew and he began falling asleep at movies, in church, and while eating.
5-10 minutes into his drive home from work one day he fell asleep and awoke to a horn blaring. He almost killed himself and another lady who he ran off onto the shoulder and almost into a ditch. After that he finally decided he needed to get checked out.
Now, with his very supportive wife, he wears CPAP and they can sleep in the same room again.
Patient 6:
Suffered a mini-stroke caused by atrial fibrillation. Finally discovered through a sleep study that he has sleep apnea.
He chose position therapy because sleeping on his side eliminated the sleep apnea problem.
Now he no longer has atrial fibrillation.
These stories were very insightful and eye opening to just a few of the numerous scenarios in which sleep apnea can be the cause of many problems for people of all sizes and ages. If you suspect you or a loved one might be struggling with sleep apnea, consult a physician and get a sleep test. It can be a matter of life and death.
By Emily S.
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