Haydennet.com, personal site of Joseph A. Hayden, J.D.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea is still an under-diagnosed sleeping disorder, in part because people with it have no problem getting to sleep and can often feel very well rested when they first wake up.   I was diagnosed with it after a sleep study that was done in my home (a very rare thing these days) in December 1995.  Now most sleep studies are done (more cheaply) in a sleep center.  While apnea alone is not realistically a life or death condition, it can lead to dangerous situations that contribute to serious injury or death.  It is also very much about quality of life.  Since my diagnosis I have been getting treatment.  However, losing even 25 pounds can cause one to be symptom-free and not be in need of treatment anymore.

Common Symptoms of Sleep Apnea include:

• Being overweight.
• Neck size is 17″ or over for a man, over 16″ for woman.
• Nodding off in inappropriate and sometimes dangerous places (like behind the wheel), especially in the afternoons.
• Feeling below par much of the time
• Someone who can hear you sleep has noticed that you snore loudly, then stop breathing and then start breathing again with a gasp.  That is an apnea episode.
• Erratic Sleep Patterns
• Headaches upon waking up, representing oxygen deprivation
• High Blood Pressure

If you have one or more of the above symptoms, you might want to have your doctor refer you to an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor (ENT) for a sleep study.

CPAP is an acronym for Continuous Positive Air Pressure, and is the word used for the machines that apneacs use when they sleep to get REM sleep.  I have been sleeping with one of these devices since my diagnosis.  They have become much smaller, easier to maintain, quieter and much less claustrophobic.  My head mask with nasal pillows does not actually touch my face, so it is also less prone to contribute to acne.  The nasal pillow puts the mask in place and it wraps around to the back of the head over the top for a nice snug fit.

Contribution by Jerry Weiss in New York City:  ”I am a person with obstructive sleep apnea and also the chairman of A.W.A.K.E. New York, a support group for those with sleep apnea, and also a former board member of the American Sleep Apnea Association.  Large people like myself should be aware that sleep apnea is quite prevalent in big people, especially those with oversized necks.  You can think of sleep apnea as a kind of post graduate snoring.  In snoring, the obstruction in the airway is partial, and the sound we all know is produced.  In apnea, the airway completely closes, temporarily, and the person stops breathing. Somewhere between seconds and a minute later, the brain senses the low oxygen level and “wakes you up” subconsciously, enough to get you to take a breath.  This is characterized by a choking sound that is quite frightening to any bed partner.  For that matter, so are the moments of silence when you are not breathing.  In most cases of apnea, the collapse of the airway is caused by weakened muscles in the neck which, when relaxed, completely obstruct you from taking a breath. While there is small danger of you stopping breathing permanently—the most rudimentary part of your brain will get you to take a breath if you have an adult nervous system—the result of this cycle, which can be repeated hundreds of times a night, is a night without any real deep REM sleep, because you are sleeping minutes at a time.  The next day you feel groggy and testy, and are prone to fall asleep in unlikely places, such as at your desk at work, or — and this is a real danger that takes lives—in your car.  If the doctor thinks it appropriate, (s)he will refer you to a sleep clinic. Most people who are positively diagnosed are given a machine to use when you sleep called a CPAP.  This device can change your life!  I speak from experience.  In other cases, surgery might be recommended, or a dental device.  To continue with untreated sleep apnea, in addition to the symptoms noted above, taxes your heart and brain greatly, as you are in effect jump-starting yourself over and over during the night. Eventually, disease will result.”