"please keep me updated about oximeters "
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Blood Oxygen Deprivation
It seems like the effects of low blood oxygen resulting from untreated apnea are not as fully appreciated as they ought to be. Even many medical professionals think of apnea as a "sleep" disorder. Not to diminish the effects of chronic sleep deprivation over months and years (apnea victims get zero clinical sleep), the effects of chronic blood oxygen deprivation can be much worse.
There is no stronger signal to the brain than low blood oxygen. That means, quite literally, that death is imminent and all hades breaks loose. The body shunts off oxygen from everywhere except the brain, the panic hormones start flying, and your sympathetic nervous system goes into a Code Red panic. You start breathing, oxygen is restored, and the cycle repeats itself dozens or hundreds of times a night.
All of this wreaks havoc on the body. The panic hormones cause high blood pressure (including stroke) and put extraordinary stress on the heart in a low oxygen environment (resuting in, yes, heart disease). Low nighttime blood oxygen interferes with normal blood glucose processing, resulting in the overproduction of insulin and, yes, insulin resistance (also known as Type II Diabetes). The lack of blood oxygen also interferes with nighttime digestion, resulting in GERD. And who knows what all of these risk factors mean in terms of triggering diseases like cancer (my grandfather, who unknowingly suffered from apnea his entire adult life, died from colon cancer but I can't help but wonder whether the apnea somehow triggered that?). And to top it all off, the physical damage in combination with chronic sleep deprivation results in a scale of depression that cannot be described except by those who have experienced it. And I haven't even talked about all of the death and carnage on the highways from apnea-related drowsy driving.
So long story short, this is a serious condition that has a lot more to it than just SLEEP. Figuring out your therapy is worth everything you will ever put into it.
There is no stronger signal to the brain than low blood oxygen. That means, quite literally, that death is imminent and all hades breaks loose. The body shunts off oxygen from everywhere except the brain, the panic hormones start flying, and your sympathetic nervous system goes into a Code Red panic. You start breathing, oxygen is restored, and the cycle repeats itself dozens or hundreds of times a night.
All of this wreaks havoc on the body. The panic hormones cause high blood pressure (including stroke) and put extraordinary stress on the heart in a low oxygen environment (resuting in, yes, heart disease). Low nighttime blood oxygen interferes with normal blood glucose processing, resulting in the overproduction of insulin and, yes, insulin resistance (also known as Type II Diabetes). The lack of blood oxygen also interferes with nighttime digestion, resulting in GERD. And who knows what all of these risk factors mean in terms of triggering diseases like cancer (my grandfather, who unknowingly suffered from apnea his entire adult life, died from colon cancer but I can't help but wonder whether the apnea somehow triggered that?). And to top it all off, the physical damage in combination with chronic sleep deprivation results in a scale of depression that cannot be described except by those who have experienced it. And I haven't even talked about all of the death and carnage on the highways from apnea-related drowsy driving.
So long story short, this is a serious condition that has a lot more to it than just SLEEP. Figuring out your therapy is worth everything you will ever put into it.
Views: 11387
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Noah Calderon on
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I have been getting jaded by alot of others, whose posts are largely self-interested advertisements or plugs for some sort of treatment or appliance (hopefully this doesn't turn out to be one also), but I find this to be an excellent, nicely written, and very informative post. Thank you much, Noah
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'SleepyGuy',
This is a wonderful and informative posting and gives further ammunition to the seriousness of Sleep Apnea. Additionally, it sheds light on many previously unexplained symptoms that sufferers experience, which are largely misdiagnosed. Thank You for this.
I just continuously feel disturbed by one group of 'experts', who seem to monopolize the 'cure' for this condition. How a 'cure' is arrived out isn't always a very democratic process and the sufferer truly has to become their own best advocate.
Thanks to the webmaster for this avenue of discussion as well.
Best Regards
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Makes for a great keynote slide presentation for a dental study club.
Currently developing a protocal for a functional orthopedic sleep appliance, the FOSA©. The appliance addresses causation and was developed to improve O2 intake via nasal breathing. The device is used with or without CPAP and currently only available in the Boston area.
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Permalink Reply by Henning on
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You are to a large extent need to be your own expert. This is why a forum like this is priceless.
Try reading some previous posts and you'll get a much better understanding of sleep apnea.
This is an old tread from 2009, that is highlighted, and look at the reaction.
There are numerous of treads that deserve to be highligted again.
Henning
Jay Polatnick said:'SleepyGuy',
This is a wonderful and informative posting and gives further ammunition to the seriousness of Sleep Apnea. Additionally, it sheds light on many previously unexplained symptoms that sufferers experience, which are largely misdiagnosed. Thank You for this.
I just continuously feel disturbed by one group of 'experts', who seem to monopolize the 'cure' for this condition. How a 'cure' is arrived out isn't always a very democratic process and the sufferer truly has to become their own best advocate.
Thanks to the webmaster for this avenue of discussion as well.
Best Regards
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I do not believe any of us on here are trying to sell a bridge to anyone. I am hit with so many advertisements a day you have to beat me over the head with something to sell me "ANYTHING" new and even then I am skeptical. Sleep Apnea is no joke. I have not had any people I know die in there sleep from it but I know other's that have more friends that some of their friends have died from not listening to their doctors or struggling with CPap's where they will take a nap without it and drift off to the white light due to not being able to breathe while they are asleep. I wouldn't wish this disease off on anyone, except maybe those who pick on others. Trust me there are a lot of people in the world without compassion of any kind. And the more people their are in the world the more ignorant, scared and cowardly individuals will rise to the top to point fingers at you and call you lazy and so on. I have asthma, Poland's syndrome, arthritis of the Spine, Gerd, Sleep Apnea, Seborrheic Dermatitis and I am in pain all the time. Still on the right side of the grass and still fighting every day. Learn all you can about your illnesses and use knowledge to fight the good fight and don't let anyone give you any sh*t.
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Permalink Reply by Lynn on
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Are you being treated for sleep apnea?
Gerald Allen said:Sleepyguy. Who are you I need to know more. I can't keep my Oyg. up very high. I got to go back to the Doctor Friday. I have an in larged heart. And other things going on. G
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I don't know. My doc took it very seriously. I think in the course of telling me the results of my sleep study (retitration), he kept telling me "and your oxygen dropped down to 80%. That's pretty serious." He also told me the study was inconclusive because they couldn't titrate me high enough to get rid of the oxygen desats and apnic events while on my back. And I was doing that on a setting of 10. He prescribed 12 and told me to bring my card in once I'd had my machine reset to 12. I'm like, "card?" So I ended up with a new machine also. 12 seemed to do the trick. I keep thinking though that I need to get an oximeter so I can be sure my oxygen isn't dropping during the nite. Don't think it is since my AHIs are running under 1 most nights but I'd feel a lot better if I knew for sure.
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That would be interesting to me also since I am also asthmatic. Have been since I was a child.
Kenneth Lorino said:I think this may be connected to my asthma attack when I was first diagnosed with asthma. My blood oxygen levels were severly low, which is why I ended up in the hospital. I am not really sure if there is a connection with my asthma and my sleep apnea, but it would be interesting to find out.
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My sleep doc, whom I think is good, doesn't seem to think much of oral appliances to keep the airway open. I have to disagree with him. When I push my jaw forward while on the machine there is a noticeable difference in the amount of air getting into me. I will do anything I can to improve my air flow and may get an appliance despite what he thinks. After all, I'm the one paying for it, not him. LOL
The same doc did something unusual; he prescribed speech therapy for me. He says exercises they give after they make a diagnosis have been very successful for improving air flow. I can't wait for next Monday!
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Do you see his chest rise and fall? That will be your answer!
Andrew Allen Wayman said:my husband has all of the symptoms along with snoring, reflux, and suddenly high blood pressure. he has been to a sleep clinic 3 yrs ago and they ruled out apnea. shhould he go to another clinic? when i slept in bed with him, 3 yrs ago (haven't since due to continual snoring), i did notice a snorting before he woke up every couple of hrs.
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I HAVE HAD SLEEP APNEA MY WHOLE ADULT LIFE. I CAN NO LONGER USE THE CPAP BECAUSE THE GERD WAS SO BAB THE CPAP KEPT DRIVING THE STOMACH ACID INTO MY LUNGS CAUSING PNEUMONIA. I WAS ALSO DIAGNOSED WITH INCREASED INTRACRANIAL PRESSURE. THEY CALLED IT PSEUDOTUMOUR CEREBRI, AND PULMONARY HYPERTENSION NOW. I AM GOING TO ASK NEUROLOGIST ABOUT THE INCREASE IN CRANIAL PRESSURE RIGHT AWAY, JUST TO SEE IF THERE IS ANYTHING ELSE I CAN DO FOR IT. AS FAR AS THE PULMONARY HYPERTENSION I HAVE TO BE ON OXYGEN WHENEVER NI SLEEP AND WHEN I AM DOING ANYTHING MORE THAN JUST WALKING AROUND THE HOUSE. THE DOC TELLS ME THERE IS NOTHING LEFT TO DO BUT GET A TRACH TUBE OUT IN BUT I DON'T WANT ONE. I AM GLAD YOU BROUGHT IT UP ABOUT THE CRANIAL PRESSURE I DIDN'T KNOW IT PUTS ME AT INCREASED RISK FOR STROKE. IF THERE IS ANYONE ELSE IN THE SAME BOAT I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU. THANK YOU, JULIE
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