longevity

[TLD]

I'm recently diagnosed as having apnea and have just started trying to get used to CPAP. Other than being tired and having morning headaches, I'm otherwise a healthy 43 old man. Becoming educated about apnea has scared the heck out of me regarding the increased risk for heart problems and stroke. I guess I'm worrying too much about that now.

Here's my question. Can we live a long life with apnea, or are we all destined to cash it in early? Are there any members here who are in their sixties or older? Sorry to be so morbid, just wondering.

[NightHawkeye]

Here's my question. Can we live a long life with apnea, or are we all destined to cash it in early? Are there any members here who are in their sixties or older?

Dang, that begins to explain why some folks just suddenly disappear from here with no advance warning. (Sorry, I couldn't resist.)

Regards,
Bill

[Wulfman]

I'm recently diagnosed as having apnea and have just started trying to get used to CPAP. Other than being tired and having morning headaches, I'm otherwise a healthy 43 old man. Becoming educated about apnea has scared the heck out of me regarding the increased risk for heart problems and stroke. I guess I'm worrying too much about that now.

Here's my question. Can we live a long life with apnea, or are we all destined to cash it in early? Are there any members here who are in their sixties or older? Sorry to be so morbid, just wondering.

That was actually more than one question......

Life has no "guarantees", but all things being equal......you will definitely improve your health by using this therapy. Without it, you will only get worse.

There are lots of members over 60. I'm not one of them.....yet.....but gettin' close.

Welcome to the forum!

Best wishes,

Den

[Sleepless_in_LM]

I am a long way from 60, but I understand treated OSA should not be a life shortening condition. I suppose that also depends on how much damage has been done prior to treatment...

Also, my father was diagnosed with severe OSA (56AHI) in his 60's and couldn't handle cpap treatment. He is now well over 70. So OSA increases risks, but certainly is not a death sentence.

[oldgearhead]

I'm 66 with RA, CHF, A-Fib, and OSA. All are being treated, and I feel fine..

[Hurricane]

Not to worry yourself, I was eighteen when I enlisted in the service, guys threw boots at my bunk, being I snored so loudly, friends that wouldn't have me come down the shore for overnighters, because I kept them awake with the snoring, got the picture huh? well Iamb older than Wulfman so there.
Ed

[beneyw]

I am in my mid 60's and wish I had been diagnosed much earlier..What the heck...going to bed at night I imagine I am an astronaut...tape my mouth (one of those mouth breathers) hook up to Old Faithful and breathe away.

Welcome to the club and think of it this way...You now have a much better chance of longer life with CPAP. This was NOT a paid endorsement...lol

Good luck!

[Offerocker]

I'm recently diagnosed as having apnea and have just started trying to get used to CPAP. <snip>

Here's my question. Can we live a long life with apnea, or are we all destined to cash it in early? <snip>

TLD:

You are worried because you JUST found out that you have Apnea.
Do you have any idea how LONG you've had it? Probably (?) a few years.

(all other things being equal) You will most likely live LONGER with treatment, and knowing your condition, than you would have NOT knowing your condition.

i.e. A person with cancer, for example, won't live as long as he could have had he KNOWN he had cancer (and was scared to death about it!), and received proper TREATMENT, which, in most cases today, has proven to be successful.

I believe you are reacting (nothing wrong with that) to having learned of the harmful effects sleep apnea has on the body. LUCKY YOU, you now know you can do something about it, and without surgery (hopefully), radiation, loss of limb, etc. I don't know if any of us really knew the point of onset of our apnea, but we can guess. What we CAN tell you is that the DIAGNOSIS may or not have come in time. Some people have already had heart attacks - at an early age.

You are young, and from what I can see, 60 and 70 are young also. I took care of a 102-year-old LADY who was sharper than I mentally!! She only passed away because she was tired of living, in my observations and opinion.

So, no, the diagnosis is not the problem. Be excited that you have a longer life expectancy than before!
Good luck with your treatment - it isn't always easy in the beginning, but you can stick with it with support here. Ask any question, and you will get much support - in less space than I've taken up here.

[OwlCreekObserver]

I've probably had apnea for most of my life, with the same symptoms described by some others here. I'm now into my 60s, diagnosed with apnea a few months ago, and I'm still...wait a second...okay, the pulse is still there. No problem, I appear to have survived so far.

OCO

[felineperson3]

For whatever my .02 is worth I am 66 years old--was diagnosed with OSA and prescribed treatment for it approx. 2-1/2 years ago and am confident I have had it most, if not all my life. My husband of 49 years can attest that I've had it all of our married life. I have been very compliant with the tx. and so far I have not appeared on the obituary page even though I also have several other health issues currently. This forum and the official diagnosis along with the treatment has certainly been a God send to me. It doesn't resolve all health issues that aren't related to apnea, but I will always feel if I could have been diagnosed earlier and escaped the many years of untreated apnea which certainly produced undue stress on all my body systems this could have prevented some of the health issues I now have. Even though damage can't always be reversed there is still a positive aspect in being compliant with the treatment and guarding against further damage. We can only be held responsible for what we know from this moment on to protect ourselves and as Offerocker stated:

Be excited that you have a longer life expectancy than before!

Best wishes to you and to the forum!

[Sleepy Dog Lover]

I am convinced that my dad had undiagnosed sleep apnea. He did have heart problems, but he lived to a ripe age of 84 before passing away last year. During one of his hospital visits, they actually had him hooked up to a cpap and he absolutely hated it, of course, the mask they used looked really uncomfortable. Dad could take the house down with his snoring, and I remember as a child that it sounded like he stopped breathing occasionally. He was also always tired. Had he been treated, who knows what might have happened, his heart problems might not have been as bad and he might have lived even longer.

[Guest]

the objective should be to treat the OSA before you develop heart disease or have a stroke or one of the major organs becomes diseased.

10 years from now, I bet they finally connect the knee bone to the chin bone and realize that much of cardiovascular disease (not all) is caused by untreated OSA and associated hypoxia. then you need to study the effects of inflammation on the arterial system before it begins to make sense.

[pedroski]

Can we live a long life with apnea, or are we all destined to cash it in early?

Hi TLD,

I can understand you freaking out a bit when you have been diagnosed with something but, the bottom line is, whatever your health is now, your life expectancy will be better as a result of having had your OSA diagnosed and now treated than it would have been undiagnosed and untreated.

From where I sit, it's all good news, you're still healthy so hopefully your OSA hasn't damaged your body too much yet, and you've now been diagnosed and are being treated. Far from being morbid, I count my blessings that I found out about it and even though cpap has its challenges, they are tiny compared to the benefits it has given me.

I'm sure you'll also feel more positive before too long.


Peter

[TLD]

Thank you all for your encouraging words. I remember being a little kid and having my friends tell me that I breath funny while sleeping. Finally at age 43 I'm doing something about it. You are all correct - that is what I should be focusing on instead of worrying.

This is a great forum. Thanks again.