Hi Musculus
I'm not sure I have epiglottis or not. I'm going to make an appt. to see my Respiratory therapist about my last sleep test (though I know he won't say much about it) and I will ask him about the epiglottis. I don't think he'll say anything about it either. The Glottis on my assessment was fine. I think I will see my family doctor and ask for a referral to an ENT to check the epiglottis.
Do all ENT's do the sleep endoscopy? Otherwise I can suggest laryngoscopy while simulating snoring with Muller's maneuver but that seems hard to do.
I'm not feeling optimistic because when I google ENT's they mostly do sinus or ear surgery and not many deal with Sleep Apnea. I'm going to email the ENT I want to see and tell him I have UARS and see if he will look at the epiglottis and if he does surgery. And if I google sleep doctors I get clinics that just want to sell you CPAP machines or dental appliances. I really want to see Dr. Steven Park in NY or go to Standford. I don't know if they accept Canadians though. I just feel no one here understands my problems. I don't have the money to go anyway but I'm going to start saving.
Thanks for the links for the pillows. I don't think I can sleep on my stomach for long periods of time though.
Do you have to have all these symptoms?
http://www.sleepreviewmag.com/2004/05/t ... eep-apnea/
The only one I have is apneas which I had only 2 times on this test and no hypopneas. (My last apnealink test showed 2 apneas and 3 hypopneas). I don't have any of the other symptoms.
I'm frustrated with my family doctor cause I've asked twice for a referral to the sleep lab and she said it takes too long to go through her so she sends me to the respiratory therapist and he won't send me either cause they won't check for UARS. I think I should go anyway just to see if they see something else. Do sleep labs check the epiglottis? I know they check your sleep but I don't know if they examine you inside.
If the epiglottis causes negative pressure which causes reflux then I feel it can cause PND. Dr. Park said in UARS the negative pressure causes the stomach acid to go up which causes reflux and it can cause PND cause the acid can even reach the sinuses cause they've found H Pylori there. But I'm just a newbie so I may be wrong.
I feel down right now cause if my problem is the epiglottis then I'm screwed if I can't find a doctor to help me. At least if I didn't have that problem I could eventually save for a CPAP machine and try and treat UARS myself (if I don't get approved for a trial).
I don't understand why it's taking Sleep Medicine so long to understand/recognize other problems besides Sleep Apnea. I've been sick 31 years! I need a break! I truly would rather have sleep apnea than go through all this crap and I would have been diagnosed and treated YEARS ago!
I just slept 9.5 hrs and I'm exhausted. Argh!