Lack of OSA Public Awareness

[Hannibal 2]

So I looked on the Stroke Association (UK) website today, I cannot find any mention of the connection between untreated OSA and strokes,
in fact I cannot find any mention of OSA at all!

I have emailed the site to ask the reason for this.


https://www.stroke.org.uk/

[Gryphon]

it does seam like there is a big disconnect between different schools of treatment. There's lots of money being dumped in to meds to help prevent heart attack or stroke. Or meds to help with loss of cognition with dementia or other mental impairments. It seams like Apnea or other sleep related disorders are the big elephants in the room that arn't being talked about nearly as much as they should.

Not to sound like a conspiracy nut, but I wonder if part of this is there is more money to be made in treating the symptoms of untreated SDB then in helping the underlying condition that could be causing them all.

You could have some one with bad OSA who may not have diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, anxiety disorder, overall body pain from lack of oxygen etc.... There's lots of meds that treat all those symptoms that wouldn't be sold if that person was properly treating their OSA. That's not to say that treating OSA is some how a magic trick and that if we could just do that we would end all ilness across the world. I'm not that naive, but you gota recon that there a lot of people out there with untreated OSA who are suffering needlessly. Statistically some OSA sufferers if treated would show improvement in the above problems if not down right reversal.

It seams to me that XPAP treatment, while very hard for some to adapt to, is a lot less dangerous then some of the medications being pushed on people. I don't see anywhere near the number of side effects or complications from CPAP that you hear about when you talk about drugs. If some one's being smothered with a pillow 30 times an hour all night long... why give them meds for the heart condition or try to treat the metabolic problems from all that? Why not just take away the pillow?

I know that overall it's not so simple as I stated above. I do wonder though, if this condition was even more widely talked about in the media, if it was treated with the respect and concern it deserved, would we see any sort of measurable change when it comes to a lot of the other chronic conditions that we are constantly hearing about now.

[Hannibal 2]

It's almost like OSA doesn't exist in the UK, it's really bad that most people I discuss my condition with know little or nothing about it.

There was a doctor on the radio yesterday, a 30 minute slot talking about Stroke prevention and awareness of symptoms, inviting texts and callers, banging the same old FAST acronym drum again, not once was SDB or OSA mentioned!

[Arlene1963]

Yes, same here, whenever I speak to people about OSA they laugh a bit nervously, ask what that is, and usually make a joke about sleeping with a noisy machine next to me all night.

The biggest problem is that OSA is so entwined in both the medical and public eye with being overweight and snoring.

I agree with Chunkyfrog, what is needed are images out there on social media showing thin young people as well who have OSA, and who are enjoying life, living it to the full, on CPAP.

Another idea would be to show a person with mild OSA at age 30, vibrant and healthy, and then flash forward to that same person at 60, untreated for 30 years, now with severe OSA ... diabetic, Afib, resistant hypertension, has had several stents and possibly a heart attack ... barely able to walk up a flight of stairs.... just to show the relentless progression of this disease unless treated, and taken seriously.

That might get a bit of notice.

No mention of weight and snoring .... those are the biggest distractions from getting people to take this seriously, both doctors and the public, IMO.

[Hannibal 2]

When I first went to my doctor suspecting I may have sleep apnoea, even he suggested that it was unlikely as I wasn't overweight, I'm reasonably fit and play squash. He referred me to be on the safe side.

If you look at ResMed blurb, their models are mostly youngish, fit and good looking - there's a reason for that.

[TASmart]

I wonder how much of the lack of OSA public awareness is caused by the combined thinking of the medical establishment that people will not consistently take actions to improve heath outcomes, that the most overall successful approach to health issues is the "easy" approach with a pill or injection, people generally want a take a pill and forget it approach to medicine, pressure by the pharma industry and so on. Think about the economic pressure on a Dr. What is a more profitable use of his time - prescribe a pill and follow u for 10 minutes semi-annually, or send hours trying to optimize one persons therapy on an xPAP.

Then there is, at least in the US the perception that sleep depravation is proof of desire to succeed; a demonstration of single minded dedication. People who need/get enough sleep are less driven and lazy.

Face it, right now the deck is stacked, and we need advocacy to spread that apnea sufferers are not lazy, on the contrary most of use have pressed thorough very long odds to have a degree of success despite and serious physical and mental disability.

A badge of honor to be sleep deprived ? Make it a sign of foolishness akin to DUI to voluntarily be sleep deprived.

[49er]

Think about the economic pressure on a Dr. What is a more profitable use of his time - prescribe a pill and follow u for 10 minutes semi-annually, or send hours trying to optimize one persons therapy on an xPAP.

Good point but that doesn't explain the actions of my cardiologist. Even though she definitely realizes that heart issues lead to sleep disorders and refers patients to sleep specialists, her waiting area is full of drug company advertisements. There isn't anything about sleep apnea with the exception of being able to business cards of the sleep docs at the front desk. So for her, this doesn't sound like a time issue although of course, i could be missing something.

Just so folks know, I really do like this doctor and wouldn't want anyone else taking care of me if god forbid, I had a serious heart issue. But I did have to point out that situation.

49er

[Pugsy]

waiting area is full of drug company advertisements.

Very likely courtesy of the drug reps. There's probably not any cpap reps visiting doctors and bringing them lunch.

[TASmart]

Think about the economic pressure on a Dr. What is a more profitable use of his time - prescribe a pill and follow u for 10 minutes semi-annually, or send hours trying to optimize one persons therapy on an xPAP.

Good point but that doesn't explain the actions of my cardiologist. Even though she definitely realizes that heart issues lead to sleep disorders and refers patients to sleep specialists, her waiting area is full of drug company advertisements. There isn't anything about sleep apnea with the exception of being able to business cards of the sleep docs at the front desk. So for her, this doesn't sound like a time issue although of course, i could be missing something.

Just so folks know, I really do like this doctor and wouldn't want anyone else taking care of me if god forbid, I had a serious heart issue. But I did have to point out that situation.

49er

This appears to me to support my contention. Cardiologist role is heart health, yet instead of promoting (mostly on deaf ears i fear) interventions such as exercise, heart healthy diets, BP reducing diets, and meeting with patients such are you about sleep apnea and how to improve xPAP performance to reduce cardiac risk factors, instead a display area full of adverts for medications to reduce cardiac risk factors as simple as taking a pill. Not to fault the Dr though, I suspect most people would rather take a pill than actually do the consistent effort it takes to control those risk factors.

[chunkyfrog]

It annoys me when TV can't even get the terminology right.
On "Imaginary Mary", Andy's cpap mask was referred to as a "sleep apnea mask".
Way to go, writers! Don't guess too long why the show got canceled.
Two minutes on Google (or practically ANYWHERE ELSE) and they would have gotten it right!

[zoocrewphoto]

I knew I had sleep apnea long before I was diagnosed. My mom had it used a cpap machine. BUT! I did not understand what it really meant. I thought it meant waking up lots of little times, and I didn't think I slept that badly. I didn't realize any of the oxygen desaturation problem or leading to other problems. I also mistakenly thought that you HAD to use a nasal mask, and I am am mouth breather. No way that was going to work for me.

Even my doctor ignored my sleep apnea. I had the same doctor as my mom, so she knew about my mom's sleep apnea. She had been warning me for years about my high blood pressure and risk of stroke or heart attack. She had me on 2 blood pressure medications with continuing high blood pressure. She had to know I was a prime candidate for sleep apnea, yet she never once asked about my sleep. If I snored. Etc.

What changed? I saw a new report about sleep apnea that talked about oxygen desaturation and how it leads to high blood pressure and then to stroke or heart attack. Everything my doctor had been warning me about. I made an appointment, told I had sleep apnea, and asked for a sleep study. I was diagnosed 2 weeks later with severe sleep apnea.

So, while most news and health stories ignore sleep apnea, that one story got me on track with cpap.

[ChicagoGranny]

Not to sound like a conspiracy nut

Oh, but you do.

[Goofproof]

What we really need is a new Mental Health Pill, that would enable the people that need a treatment to make them healthier. That would double the XPAP success rate, saving many lives that are wasted circling in De-Nile, If it could be put in our water many more could make use of it in their daily lives. Jim

[Gryphon]

Not to sound like a conspiracy nut

Oh, but you do.

LOL!

I don't see my self as a conspiracy nut. More as a staunch cynic.

Your comment did make me laugh out loud though

Hope your doing well.

Gryphon

[ChicagoGranny]

More as a staunch cynic.

I have serious and deeply felt distrust of your motives for posting this.