Reminder: Sleep Apnea Not Limited to Obese Patients

[roster]

http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCove ... rid=142281

[DoriC]

My husband is not overweight, 5'7", 170lbs, medium build, but he wears a 16 1/2" shirt size.

[grandmma]

Thanks for the article link Rooster.

They say my apnea is due to my being overweight, combined with narrow breathing passages just tips me over the edge. Hey, I'm not overweight at 5'8" I'm definitely far too shortl!! Now, 7' and I'd be perfect.

[SnoresLikeWalrus]

After a thorough neuro exam and exam of my "oral, nasal, throat" structures, in addition to the sleep study, I was told I could diet myself down to 80 lbs and would still have my sleep disorder. I have a big tongue and a small air passage. My BMI is normal. I have probably had this problem for decades without knowing it. They kept saying, wow that's a big tongue in there. I had no idea.

I am thinking dentists should be trained to look at the tongue/throat as part of their routine exams and perhaps screen for possible anatomic configurations that might indicate a problem. They screen for oral cancer. Why not add this?

[Guest]

I lost 75 pounds and my sleep apnea got worse!! And I never had a fat neck to begin with.

[roster]

I am thinking dentists should be trained to look at the tongue/throat as part of their routine exams and perhaps screen for possible anatomic configurations that might indicate a problem. They screen for oral cancer. Why not add this?

Yep.

[Joe50]

I am hoping my SA goes away when I reach 180. I didn't start to notice problems until I reached about 260 and then at 300 I knew I was in trouble. The SA has gotten a lot better now that I am at weight of 243 but I am not expecting magic until my neck gets lots smaller and my bodyfat is much lower. And I do realize that technically I am still obese but it is a much better obese than at 300. Here is to hoping it all goes away as the pounds melt away.

[Marke]

My sleep doctor walked in at my first visit after sleep study
and said you can't have osa, but you do the report shows it, and my wife said I've had it
for the better part of our marriage.(21yrs) Doctor says I fall into the 20% group that visually cant be explained due to build.
I am 49yrs old 6'3" and fluctuate between 195 and 205 lbs. I am on week 4 of treatment, 1st 3 were hell and but I am finally getting used to it averaging 4 to 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night. I've been told thats an above average for newbies.
I have spoken with my doctor and service provider on a machine upgrade. I want to take charge of my therapy.
I have requested an s9 autoset so I can see my results. Right now my 1st machine tells me nothing
but hrs. used. If I cant get that one I'm sure they'll give me the s8 autoset.
I can't wait to get the new machine. My only other question is can anyone point me in the direction for
the rescan software required for either of those units. I know that I will be getting one of them.
preferably the s9, even if I have to pay the difference. I would appreciate any help at all.
This forum has been a godsend to me. I haven't read this much in years.Thanks
Marke

[roster]

Doctor says I fall into the 20% group that visually cant be explained due to build.

There is a good chance your doc is wrong and that a visual examination of your build will explain your condition.

That is if you look at the "build" of your jaw.

The vast majority of OSA patients have narrow jaws (side to side or front to back) and/or poorly advanced mandibles.

[Marke]

Roster, your are right when you say
narrow jaw my face is long and slender or narror
I also do have slight TMJ, that and with neck problems over the last 15 yrs.
may have alot to due with my problems. Thanks for the heads up I will bring up a few more questions to
my doctor at my next visit.
Marke

[roster]

Marke, I will post a link below that you might want to read before your doctor visit. Some signs of an underdeveloped jaw are if a person has crooked teeth, or had them corrected by orthodontics, or has had teeth extracted because of crowding.

Orthodontists who extract permanent teeth in children before installing braces may be setting the children up for serious life long problems with obstructive sleep apnea. Others are aware of this and install braces that put stress on the jaw to widen it as the child grows. This may allow the child to avoid obstructive sleep apnea.

I had two wisdom teeth removed in my twenties because they were causing difficutly with crowding. This was a sign that I might develop apnea.

Of course by the time we reach adulthood the skeleton has finished most of its growth and there is no way to develop a fuller jaw.


http://doctorstevenpark.com/sleep-apnea ... l-wrinkles

[donnafowler]

Wow, very interesting!
I had four of my bottom teeth removed before I got my braces because there was just no room for them, then later after the braces had come off, had my wisdom teeth out because they were going to push all of my teeth out of whack as they came in. My Sleep Doc said I could stand to lose a few pounds but that I could loose 100 pounds and would still have sleep apnea. My 18 year old daughter has the same bottom jaw (her teeth came in like shark's teeth in two rows) and is beginning to snore (already had adenoids removed). I guess she gets the next sleep study at our house! Thanks Rooster!

[twasbrillig]

Donna Fowler - your daughter may still be young enough to have her upper palate widened. Recently mentioned by Dr. Kasey Li, a surgeon from Stanford who is considered an expert. The interesting thing is that, before a young person's palate becomes a single bone that is fused in the middle, his or her palate can be widened without surgery. It's done by an orthodonist, who puts in a device that pushes the upper palate a little bit apart each day. My son had this done (he was 17 at the time) and I think it helped his sleep. It's being discussed now as a helpful option of youngsters who have obviously crowded mouths that are or will be inclined to sleep apnea.

[grandmma]

Thanks Rooster, I also find that interesting.

When young, I had several teeth removed due to overcrowding, whereas my (identical) twin sister did not. This could explain why she's not developed apnea but I have (apart from the obvious weight difference between us, she's still quite slim).

It'll be interesting to see if the apnea clears as I lose weight, or whether this will remain when I'm the same weight as her again.

[roster]

Donna Fowler - your daughter may still be young enough to have her upper palate widened.

Worth checking into.

Plenty of good stuff if you spend some time with google. Here is one - http://www.childrenshospital.org/clinic ... dening.pdf