Sleep Apnea: Not Just about choking.
Written by admin on Announcement – 5:56 pm -There are many misconceptions about the causes and symptoms of sleep apnea. Many believe that the biggest threat from this disease is choking to death. Actually choking is the least of the problems caused by this condition. Here are some of the more serious side effects and symptoms of sleep apnea.
Drop in blood oxygen during incidents of apnea.
This is by far the most serious problem with this disease. A steep drop in blood oxygen is what actually causes people to die from this disease. The lack of oxygen causes the brain to go into a mini-coma from which the victim often does not awake. It is this drop in oxygen to the brain that can cause death in apnea victims and not the unpleasant experience of waking up choking. Lack of oxygen to the brain can have many long lasting effects including brain cell damage and loss of memory.
Irregular heartbeat, arrhythmia and other heart lung malfunctions.
There is growing evidence that sleep apnea may be the cause or at very least a contributing factor to problems with the heart’s electrical conductivity. Irregular heartbeat and atrial fibrillation are common in apnea sufferers. Blood pressure regulation, either too high or too low, is also a common problem associated with sleep apnea.
Irregular heartbeat can create blood clots in the victim’s extremities that can travel to the heart and lungs and cause instant death.
Obesity - the chicken or the egg?
Sleep apnea is thought to be a condition related to obesity. Fatty tissue in the throat closes off the airway during sleep, reducing the oxygen to the brain, but there is growing evidence that apnea may actually be the cause or at least a contributing factor of obesity.
The reason you need to sleep is that your body needs to repair and renew itself from the damage that free radicals and daily muscle exertion causes to our cell structure. During deep sleep the body completes these repairs and restores itself to optimum functionality.
There is a process called the Krebs cycle in which food is converted to simple sugars, which are then converted to micro molecules. These micro molecules combine with blood oxygen and burn in the metabolic furnace of our muscle cells. These fuel molecules are stored in muscle cells to be burned (combined with oxygen) in the muscle’s metabolic furnace when the body does exercise or physical exertion.
Without this storage of cellular nutrients or fuels, the muscle’s metabolic furnace runs more slowly. The body senses starvation and attempts to reduce the metabolic rate to keep its self from running completely out of fuel. Running out of fuel is almost as dangerous as running out of oxygen. Fuel is needed to maintain body temperature and basic body functions. Without a minimum of metabolic fuel you will die. Shortage of metabolic fuel causes muscle atrophy which further slows the body’s overall metabolic rate.
When sleep is interrupted, the Krebs cycle is disrupted and cell rejuvenation and proper storage of cell nutrients is limited. This means that less of the nutrients we take into our bodies is actually used for our bodily needs and the rest is stored as fat. Meanwhile, even with nutrition in overabundance, the body feels weak and deprived and attempts to compensate with cravings for sugars and other easy to assimilate foods. You body is trying to quickly build up these micro-metabolic fuels to protect its very survival.
This inability to use the nutrients we consume creates a spiral of over eating and obesity. Sleep apnea may not be the immediate cause of obesity but it can certainly contribute to the problem and can make it nearly impossible to maintain a healthy weight.
Fatigue, laziness and lack of ambition.
Sleep apnea can create a blood sugar roller coaster of cravings and dietary excesses. Lack of sleep and metabolic malfunctions can contribute to such diseases as diabetes and various nutrient deficiencies. Fatigue, laziness and even lack of ambition can be attributed, at least in part, to sleep apnea.
Mood and chronic depression
There is reason to believe that sleep disorders in general can contribute to long-term chronic depression. Depression is a devastating syndrome that can literally destroy your life.
Apnea is a controllable illness that can cause so many other sometimes-less controllable illnesses. If you think that you may be suffering from sleep apnea run, don’t walk, to the nearest sleep specialist practitioner. Get tested and treated for this disease before it leads to serious health problems.
Posted in sleep apnea | 3 Comments »
restless leg syndrome or PAD?
Written by admin on January 31, 2009 – 5:54 am -My husband says my legs move all night long. And the snoring is going to cause a divorce I'm sure. I'm on my feet all day at work and they do ache alot. But is this restless leg syndrome or PAD? I don't have sleep apnea, but I do snore and am very tired in the morning, no matter how many hours of sleep I get. Should I see a doctor or try something over the counter?
You are probably describing two different issues.
First, snoring by itself is not a disorder. 50% of the population snores. However, it MAY be a symptom of a sleep disorder, such as sleep apnea.
Second, the leg movements…..well this also may be several different things. Some normal and some 'abnormal'.
If they occur periodically, like every 20-40 seconds during the night, this may be PLMS, periodic leg movements during sleep. These may or may not be a 'disorder'. It depends on your symtpoms.
For more information, check out the American Sleep Association's page on periodic leg movement disorder, and periodic leg movements during sleep.
Also, as always, talk to your doctor….
Good Luck.
http://www.sleepassociation.org/index.php?p=plms
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Posted in sleep apnea syndrome | 2 Comments »
i had to quit my job because of arthritis of the knee?
Written by admin on January 31, 2009 – 5:54 am -so there goes my insurance i also have other medical problems like high blood pressure, sleep apnea, insomnia, and i lost a kidney about two years ago, anyone know where i can get some help with doctor visits?
Apply for Medicaid, Medicare. You might qualify for it.
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Posted in sleep apnea insomnia | 1 Comment »
Baby has Apnea. please help?
Written by admin on January 31, 2009 – 5:54 am -my baby is 7 1/2 months old and he is still on an apnea monitor. he was 5 weeks premature and stayed in the nicu for 2 weeks due to bracycardia and apnea. we were sent home with the monitor once his brady's were gone. they advised us that he would grow out of it. well last night his monitor went off 2 times for a moment and then stopped. i checked him and he was breathing. my question is how long will he have to be on the monitor and is there anyone out there that has the same problem.
just last month i was ready for them to come and get the machine but he had 2 episodes out of the blue, he had not had any in about 3 months now all of a sudden he is having 2-3 per month. they did tell me that his heart rate does not go down when he has these episodes.
i dont know if it makes a difference but he just got over a double ear infection and has been sleeping with a humidifier in his room.
any suggestions would be appreciated
My son was on an Apnea Monitor too. One night I was up all night, literally, with the thing going off everytime he would go into deep sleep.I also noticed that when the monitor went off my son was breathing and doing fine. I called his doctor and they checked him out and checked the settings on the monitor. They checked out the monitor and said that the setting needed to be adjusted, what was actually a normal heartrate and breathing rate for him was registering as abnormal to the monitor because the setting was set for a younger child and he had grown. Hope this helps.
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Posted in apnea monitor | 2 Comments »
Can a person wear magnetic jewlery and use a CPAP machine at the same time?
Written by admin on January 31, 2009 – 5:54 am -If a person uses magnetic jewlery and wears it all the time will it have an affect when that person uses a CPAP machine either affecting the person, the macnetic jewlery or the CPAP machine?
simple answer - no
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Helping my mom Lose Weight?
Written by admin on January 31, 2009 – 5:54 am -*Sorry it's long. You can skim over the middle part and go to the questions. It's mostly stories of how my mom feels and what she does.
My mom wants to lose weight and I want to help her. Right now she is 5'5 at around 250lbs. She complains about her weight and she says she'll start a diet and she does but it doesn't last more than a month. And I need help her with this.
See, she is not happy. Well she is happy in general but not with her weight. Like over the summer, we were on vacation and my family went to the zoo and yes, it was hot, and she was sweating and was out of breathe before we got into the park. When we walked on the boardwalk, she would always fall back, so I would always with her when my dad and brother walked ahead. When we left to go back home from vacation, she said she'll start a diet and lose to weight. And now it's January and nothing. She has sleep apnea and she found out she's a diabetic. She complains how she can't find clothes to wear. So this isn't going well. I mean, she can move and everything. She doesn't look as heavy as the scale says.
I really want to help her but she can tend to get mean when I tell her she's eating too much. For dinner she always gets a big plate of food and most of the time, she'll go back for seconds or at least a half a plate extra. And I tell her no she can't have it but she'll say it's her life and she can do whatever. She'll even eat a bowl of ice cream at like 9 at night. Which I do too. But I stay in shape by jogging.
I'm starting to get worried. Because she wants to lose the weight but she can't.
I told my family after January, no more junk food in the house. Because it seems like, if there is some junk food in the house, she'll want it too. And I don't find that fair. And I plan on helping her through this. We are going to go walking every night (as long as it's not too cold right now). And I'm going to watch what she eats.
>>> What else can I do or tell her to help her lose weight?
>>> Please give websites or anything help
She doesn't want to go to the gym because she doesn't really have time. So it needs to be home stuff.
I'm really concerned because I was just watching shows on TLC about obese people going to hospitals and I don't want my mom to turn out like that. She said she would never get that big but I think if she continues who she is living life, she will make it to that point.
>>> What can I do? I really need help…
>>> What are some foods we can make?
I stay active and I'm pretty healthy but I wouldn't might working on my health more like no junk food. And my brother works out everyday so he doesn't have a problem. And my dad, well, he's heavy but not that heavy.
Please Help!
Kristaich, I said above that I said to my family that no more junk (fatty) foods will come into this house. Because it's tempting if it's in the house and it's not fair that the rest of us can eat it while she can't
Hey man, tell her that you'll be her partner. You two dont have to work out together, but you two can track your progress together. That will give her that extra push to keep going. theres more you could do but do that, suggest walking every day or every other day, and just look up diets and healthy foods online that you guys could eat. alright dude good luck..
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Posted in sleep apnea night sweats | 2 Comments »
Where can I find a low sodium recipe for macroni and cheese?
Written by admin on January 31, 2009 – 5:54 am -I am on a low sodium diet. Here is why–I have quite a few health problems–including, but not limited to, hypothyroidism, hypokalemia (low potassium), hyperaldesteronism (overactive adrenals), hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating), kyphosis (a form of scoliosis), Fibromyalgia, major depression, Psoriasis, Psoriatic Arthritis, Sleep Apnea, Premature ventricular contractions, Narcolepsy, severe Edema issues, and no telling what all else! On top of all of that, I was born deaf-blind due to Congenital Rubella Syndrome–mom got the german measles when she was preggers with me. So as you can see, I got quite a few problems……so it is imperative that I follow a strict diet with as little sodium as possible.
I hope somebody can help point me in the right direction so I can finally enjoy macroni and cheese again. TIA!
Hi. There is no need for a special recipe. The salt in mac-cheese is in the cheese.
Do not add any to the water you cook the pasta in, obviously, and use a no sodium pasta.
Similarly, you can get low sodium cheeses.
Now the bad news - it will not be the same. If you can replace the sodium with potassium salt this may be help with the taste but make sure you check that this is not going to cause medical difficulties.
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Posted in fibromyalgia sleep apnea | 2 Comments »
What can I do to make myself a more positive person if I am living every waking moment in chronic pain?
Written by admin on January 31, 2009 – 5:54 am -I am a 61 year old man who was in a car accident 13 years ago and have a broken back (T-4) with rods, pins and wires that are irriating, sleep apnea, arthritis, sciatica, pressure sores starting on my buttocks, severe insomnia and nerve damage causing other pains. My body does not work well with most pain meds, mainly narcartics, in fact the patch makes me ill so it does not help. I am getting frustrated and depressed with all this going on. Please, someone, let me know soon.
sorry to hear about your situation…..it sounds like you could benefit from a support group or some one on one counseling….I would ask your primary care doctor for some referrals on both…..it would be a good chance to vent your frustrations, fears, depression, emotions etc…..if your situation is such thaat you are homebound or not able to find this help I would try an online support community..here is a link to one http://groups.msn.com/ChronicPainSupportGroupCPSG and another http://chronicpainsupport.org/
good luck…hope you feel better
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Posted in chronic sleep apnea | 7 Comments »
I woke last night gasping for air, has this ever happened to you?
Written by admin on January 31, 2009 – 5:54 am -I couldn’t seem to get my breath, it was like my airway was constricted. Finally after a minute or so, I caught my breath. I called the doctors office this morning and left a voice mail with his nurse. They usually take 24 hours or so to call back, it’s a big clinic with many patients. To my surprise she returned my call within 5 min and told me to come right in.
The gasping scared me, the doc calling and saying to come right over, really scared me.
He listened to my lungs and said he wanted to set up a sleep apnea test for next week.
Has anyone ever had one, and what was it like?
I used to do that before I got my CPAP. The sleep apnea test is no big problem. I went to a sleep lab and they hooked up a bunch of wires to my head, a belt around my chest to monitor my breathing, a pulse oximeterto monitor my oxygen, and an ECG to monitor my heart. After that, I went to sleep and they monitored me all night. I was diagnosed with mild sleep apnea and they set up another session but with a mask that fit on my nose to find out what setting I should be on. I have had my CPAP machine for two years now and have had much better sleep because of it. I don’t wake up gasping for air, My hubby says I don’t snore anymore, and I wake up more refreshed than before. Good luck. 
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Posted in sleep apnea patients | 4 Comments »
What do you think of my article on Sleep Apnea?
Written by admin on January 31, 2009 – 5:54 am -Go here: http://noteworthynewscasts.blogspot.com/2006/07/what-is-sleep-apnea.html and read my article. Tell me what you think!
Abstract:
What is sleep apnea? It is a disease that affects a small number of the population (only about 4% of men & 2% of women), but the chances of developing this disorder gets progressively worse as one grows older and leaving the symptoms untreated could be fatal. Many who have sleep apnea do not even know they have this affliction. This report will educate the reader about the signs and symptoms of sleep apnea, such as snoring and constant feelings of drowsiness. It will also review what one would expect when being tested for apnea, as well as popular and less-traditional treatment methods. It then discusses the long-term effects of not treating sleep apnea, which could include heart failure. By the time the reader has completed this report, they will have a full understanding of sleep apnea and how it affects one’s life.
It made me fall asleep
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Posted in treat sleep apnea | 8 Comments »