SLEEP APNEA? What's THAT?
My late husband snored something awful sometimes, maybe he had it, but it wasn't a hot topic back before 1995. To shush him I would thump my foot on the bed or give him a little kick. Then I found out with my second husband, he didn't snore as much, but would snort or everything would be quiet. He wasn't breathing, it scared me. I would count the seconds up to 30 and then give him an elbow and say" breathe damn it". He would respond; "when I am ready to". This is *almost* a for sure diagnosis of sleep apnea, but of course a sleep study would be the best for diagnosis.
So began our education about Sleep Apnea. For the basic explanation you can Google it on line and come up with more information than you know what to do with now. A simple easy to understand website of the American Sleep Apnea Association explains that there are three types of apnea: obstructive, central, and mixed. In all three, breathing can stop hundreds of times during the night.
My husband Lou has a combination of OSA (obstructive sleep apnea) when the airway closes, and also 'central sleep apnea' where the brain fails to signal the muscles to breathe. His type is "Mixed". I worried that left untreated he might develop high blood pressure or other cardiovascular disease, and a long string of problems such as memory, headaches, weight gain���and of course being exhausted on and off all day. He was a "napper". He'd stop breathing 40 times per hour at night, which is severe. After a 'Sleep Study', he was 'treated by being fitted for a face mask and with a CPAP (constant positive air pressure) machine. * www.sleepapnea.org/info/index.html
That stopped the snorting, no breathing and gasping, but that sound was replaced with the white noise of shushing air. It isn't bad, one can get used to it, but luckily it turned out I have a mild case myself. Thus, we both have full face masks and CPAPmachines. It is so funny to see each other, we go to sleep laughing, and it is sooooooooo sexy to give plastic nose kisses���um hum.
We prefer the full face mask over the one that covers the nose only...whatever you try, it is worth the effort to get used to the mask. The benefit for both of us has been super. Instead of dragging about during the day, and nodding off whenever sitting down, we became much more alert and active all day long, and stayed up later into the evening.
There are many masks available. Be sure to take time, insist upon getting one to fit properly. Ask to see all the models available to you. Try them on WITH the CPAP machine blowing its air into the mask���and try it lying down. You don't want to make a mistake and have to buy another model. I found the little curved neck cushion helpful in keeping the mask from being pushed so it leaked air -oh the funny noises that makes, or it squirts in your eye and they dry out..
Should one be claustrophobic, there are designs that only cover the nostrils with little pillows, or a form that fits over your teeth, then, there is the more invasive surgery. I prefer my little 'cave of the winds'.
SLEEP APNEA INFORMATIONThe Greek word "apnea" literally means "without breath." There are three types of apnea: obstructive, central, and mixed; of the three, obstructive is >>http://www.sleepapnea.org/info/index.html
Roxlyn G Cole (Lyn) exercise today: walk all over WalMart store plus food shop.
Pulmonary Rehab and beyond blog>>http://360.yahoo.com:80/roxlyngcd
SLEEP APNEA? What's THAT?
My late husband snored something awful sometimes, maybe he had it, but it wasn't a hot topic back before 1995. To shush him I would thump my foot on the bed or give him a little kick. Then I found out with my second husband, he didn't snore as much, but would snort or everything would be quiet. He wasn't breathing, it scared me. I would count the seconds up to 30 and then give him an elbow and say" breathe damn it". He would respond; "when I am ready to". This is *almost* a for sure diagnosis of sleep apnea, but of course a sleep study would be the best for diagnosis.
So began our education about Sleep Apnea. For the basic explanation you can Google it on line and come up with more information than you know what to do with now. A simple easy to understand website of the American Sleep Apnea Association explains that there are three types of apnea: obstructive, central, and mixed. In all three, breathing can stop hundreds of times during the night.
My husband Lou has a combination of OSA (obstructive sleep apnea) when the airway closes, and also 'central sleep apnea' where the brain fails to signal the muscles to breathe. His type is "Mixed". I worried that left untreated he might develop high blood pressure or other cardiovascular disease, and a long string of problems such as memory, headaches, weight gain���and of course being exhausted on and off all day. He was a "napper". He'd stop breathing 40 times per hour at night, which is severe. After a 'Sleep Study', he was 'treated by being fitted for a face mask and with a CPAP (constant positive air pressure) machine. * www.sleepapnea.org/info/index.html
That stopped the snorting, no breathing and gasping, but that sound was replaced with the white noise of shushing air. It isn't bad, one can get used to it, but luckily it turned out I have a mild case myself. Thus, we both have full face masks and CPAPmachines. It is so funny to see each other, we go to sleep laughing, and it is sooooooooo sexy to give plastic nose kisses���um hum.
We prefer the full face mask over the one that covers the nose only...whatever you try, it is worth the effort to get used to the mask. The benefit for both of us has been super. Instead of dragging about during the day, and nodding off whenever sitting down, we became much more alert and active all day long, and stayed up later into the evening.
There are many masks available. Be sure to take time, insist upon getting one to fit properly. Ask to see all the models available to you. Try them on WITH the CPAP machine blowing its air into the mask���and try it lying down. You don't want to make a mistake and have to buy another model. I found the little curved neck cushion helpful in keeping the mask from being pushed so it leaked air -oh the funny noises that makes, or it squirts in your eye and they dry out..
Should one be claustrophobic, there are designs that only cover the nostrils with little pillows, or a form that fits over your teeth, then, there is the more invasive surgery. I prefer my little 'cave of the winds'.
SLEEP APNEA INFORMATIONThe Greek word "apnea" literally means "without breath." There are three types of apnea: obstructive, central, and mixed; of the three, obstructive is >>http://www.sleepapnea.org/info/index.html
Roxlyn G Cole (Lyn) exercise today: walk all over WalMart store plus food shop.
Pulmonary Rehab and beyond blog>>http://360.yahoo.com:80/roxlyngcd