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March 2009 Articles (10)

Men versus women: Sleep apnea symptoms are apparently different

A new study just published in Sleep has again demonstrated that women are different from men even when they have the same disorder—obstructive sleep apnea, often called OSA. As I mentioned recently, women might be less likely to be diagnosed with OSA in part because of doctor awareness that OSA is most common in men. [...]

Men versus women: Sleep apnea symptoms by… Continue

Added by Ernest Logan Jr. on March 29, 2009 at 4:25pm — 4 Comments

DeVilBiss IntelliPAP AutoAdjust vs Respironics RemStar M Series Auto w/A-Flex

cpap.com recently provided free DeVilBiss IntelliPAP autos to 50 Respironics M Series Auto users to compare the two devices. The DeVilBiss was THE FAVORITE!

http://intellipap-aflex-auto.cpaptalk.com/

The comments from the users on both devices are quite detailed and comprehensive and can be found at the URL above. They are well worth reading, especially if you are contemplating buying a new CPAP/APAP or a… Continue

Added by Judy on March 25, 2009 at 11:00am — 4 Comments

Tracheostomy for Severe Sleep Apnea

A doctor I spoke to last night argued that severe sleep apnea should be treated more often with a tracheostomy. A tracheostomy is a surgical procedure to create an opening through the neck into the trachea (windpipe). A tube is usually placed through this opening to provide an airway into the upper trachea. This tube is called a tracheostomy tube or trach tube.… Continue

Added by Mike on March 18, 2009 at 2:30pm — 9 Comments

What is Sleep Apnea?

What Is Sleep Apnea?

Here's a simple response to the question of what is sleep apnea: sleep apnea is a common disorder in which you have one or more pauses in breathing or shallow breaths while you sleep.

Breathing pauses can last from a few seconds to minutes. They often occur 5 to 30 times or more an hour. Typically, normal breathing then starts again, sometimes with a loud snort or choking sound.

Sleep apnea usually is a chronic (ongoing) condition… Continue

Added by The SleepGuide Crew on March 17, 2009 at 4:13am — 2 Comments

HIPAA Privacy Rule Must Die

The Problem

The HIPAA Privacy Rule must die. Since its inception in 2003, the HIPAA Privacy Rule has been invoked by health care providers not to protect us patients as Congress originally intended, but rather as a crutch for health care providers to fall back on when they have an interest, be it laziness, financial, incompetence or whatever, in making it more difficult for patients to gain control over our own health care decisions.

A Personal Anecdote

The… Continue

Added by The SleepGuide Crew on March 15, 2009 at 4:30pm — 15 Comments

The Silent Majority of People with Sleep Apnea

If you're reading this, you can pat yourself on the back. You're part of the elite, the "Top Gun" of those with Sleep Apnea. How? Largely just by virtue of knowing that you have Sleep Apnea -- ninety percent of those with Sleep Apnea remain undiagnosed. Moreover, not only are you in the top 90th percentile of the "Sleep Apnea Class," but because you're educating yourself about the disorder and trying to improve your life by actively seeking treatment, you, the members of this forum, are more… Continue

Added by Mike on March 9, 2009 at 11:30pm — 13 Comments

Old Sleep Apnea Supplies

Unlike a fine wine, CPAP supplies don't get better with age. In fact, they tend to deteriorate and become less effective over time, and be replaced by ever more comfortable and innovative CPAP technologies. So we're often taken aback to hear that someone's been using the same mask for years, not having even replaced the cushions. Ditto for the machines… Continue

Added by The SleepGuide Crew on March 9, 2009 at 3:00am — 8 Comments

Is Changing CPAP Settings on One's Own Machine Illegal?

I don't know. And that's the point. While never likely to be enforced, this article is to highlight that there is confusion over whether it's legal to change the settings on one's own CPAP machine. The CPAP community seems divided on the question of whether changing the settings should be legal, with most doctors, respiratory therapists and Durable Medical Equipment providers feeling we patients… Continue

Added by Mike on March 8, 2009 at 9:30pm — 10 Comments

Sleep Apnea Disability

Is Sleep Apnea a disability? The question of whether Sleep Apnea is a disability is a legal one concerning state and federal anti-discrimination laws. The short answer to whether Sleep Apnea is a disability: maybe. The Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA") and related state laws don't define what constitutes a disability in black and white terms. Rather, the question as to whether Sleep Apnea is a disability, or whether any other disorder is a disability for that matter, rests on an… Continue

Added by Mike on March 4, 2009 at 8:30pm — 19 Comments

Moderate Sleep Apnea

Having Moderate Sleep Apnea is like having had a moderate heart attack: while better than "Severe," it's still dead serious. Mistakenly, my first reaction when getting the diagnosis of Moderate Sleep Apnea was relief. "Well, at least I'm not too far gone," I thought, as I let my guard down and didn't get serious about my Sleep Apnea treatment.

Then I did some research and found out what Moderate Sleep Apnea means.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM)…