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OSA & bladder, kidney function?
Ok Group, need advice and some back up. My Father In-Law (72 yrs old) just had a cancerous kidney removed a week ago. He is staying with us during his recovery. He is obese, has high blood pressure, diabetes AND Sleep Apnea. I am very concerned about his health going forward. He said he had the "throat surgery" for his apnea. He didn't want to get an xpap, thought it would be too much trouble. He says now that he doesn't think the throat surgery worked. He said he gets up 4 x a night to urinate. Had his prostate checked and has had some polyps removed from his bladder. I am so worried about him now that he only has 1 kidney. He says he just deals with the apnea. I don't really know what that means, sorry. It is very difficult to get any kind of medical details out of him.
Is there anyone that can help me to help him understand the importance of getting his sleep apnea treated? He will not listen to me or my husband. He is extremely stubborn, likes to argue with his doctors and doesn't really follow direction well. This is a HUGE uphill (downhill ?) battle right now. Maybe if he sees it in print he will think differently about his health. Please help !
Thank you,
Donna B.
Is there anyone that can help me to help him understand the importance of getting his sleep apnea treated? He will not listen to me or my husband. He is extremely stubborn, likes to argue with his doctors and doesn't really follow direction well. This is a HUGE uphill (downhill ?) battle right now. Maybe if he sees it in print he will think differently about his health. Please help !
Thank you,
Donna B.
Views: 22
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by RockRpsgt on
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Where to begin Donna. Sleep apnea typically begins in our 20s or 30s with the initial "adult" weight gain. This is what I call the beginning of the cycle. Most people have apnea for 10 if not 20 years before the symptoms really begin to reveal themselves. The reason for this I believe is youth.
The first sign of apnea is usually oxygen(o2) desaturations. In the beginning these desats do not normally interrupt our sleep. They do however cause a tremendous amount of stress on our hearts. The heart is a marathon runner from day one of our lives. The only time the heart gets to rest is while we where it can slow down anywhere from 10-20 beats per minute. Our body does not understand o2 deprivation. It requires the oxygen it requires all of the time. Even when our o2 is low from apnea our heart must get our organs and systems what is required. This causes the heart to have to work harder instead of resting while we are sleeping. This by itself will eventually cause highblood pressure, heart swelling, strokes, and eventually heart failure.
In a side note the negitive pressure caused by apnea eventually will reach the heart and cause contractions in the valves. This sends a false message to the brain saying that blood volume has increased. The brain then tells the kidneys to flush the system. This is most likely why you father in law goes to the bathroom so much at night.
Eventually the desaturations and stress on the heart will convince the brain that the body is in danger. The brain will then begin an attempt to stop the apneas or desats as they happen. This results in arousals or interruptions from sleep. These arousals in my opinion are the true culprit for health decline with apnea. Our sleep controls most of our healing and hormonal processes. if we do not sleep we will not heal. If we can't heal we can't recover from the o2 desats like we did when we were young. The hormonal imbalance will cause many problems including diabetes, eating disorders, and extreme weight gain. The hormonal imbalances will also cause mood disorders such as depression or anxiety.
Lets recap: Apnea causes o2 desats . This causes o2 deprivation and puts unwanted stress on our hearts. this leads to interruptions in our healing process and causes hormone imbalances. Now we are unhealthy, not healing, and depressed. There is only one alternative to not healing. The opposite of heal is decay.
This is my short answer. As you can see there is much more to it then this. Feel free to ask any questions. I am here for all.
Rock Hinkle Rpsgt.
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Permalink Reply by Banyon on
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I have been through this with many family members and friends. Some have jumped on CPAP immediately and take care of themselves. However, very few of the stubborn ones ever change their minds. You can warn them and encourage them, but at some point you have to leave them with their freedom to choose and let them know you will be there to support them if they ever change their mind.
For a 72-year old who has had sleep apnea for years, you are likely dealing with some early-stage dementia caused by sleep apnea.
One thing that might provide some relief, but unlikely a cure, is if the dude will avoid back sleeping.
Good luck.
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Permalink Reply by Rooster on
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Banyon is right but you may want to show him this article from today:
Sleep apnea destroys grey matter
Article: http://www.news-medical.net/news/20101021/Snoring-may-destroy-grey-...
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Permalink Reply by Donna B. on
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Thanks guys for your responses.
I do wonder what effect sleep apnea has on the major organs in our bodies. Is cancer and the breakdown of our organs the result of having undiagnosed/untreated OSA for years ? I totally understand the dementia part of it, that makes a lot of sense. Have there been any studies done on this question?
Rooster said:Banyon is right but you may want to show him this article from today:
Sleep apnea destroys grey matter
Article: http://www.news-medical.net/news/20101021/Snoring-may-destroy-grey-...
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