Ages?

[Geminidream]

Diagnosed at 37....almost 38 now, but probably had OSA for at least the last 15 years. Amazing how many more people probably have no idea... just like I did. I am convinced if I had not finally gotten tested, I was probably inviting heart disease and diabetes into my life. Heart disease is already an issue in my family.

[hipcat]

Diagnosed at 63 but should have been earlier! CPAP as of last Tuesday and I am struggling with it!

[sleepyb]

When I was 24 a Dr. suspected I had (in his words "some sleep disorder but if I did it was minor and there was no need for a sleep study." He gave me some medicine that he said would help with the memory loss I was starting to have (and it worked well). 10 years ago my sleepyness was getting worse but I still was not overweight so my requests for a sleep study were ignored. So, it wasn't until this year at 44 that I was finally diagnosed with severe OSA.

[jabman]

Hum mm, Seems to be a common theme here, people having OSA many years before actually being DXed.

[Big Stevoreno]

I hit the big "55" in June 2010 and have been using CPAP since May 1999. My first CPAP machine was an old Sullivan unit which did come with a humidifier although it was not a heated one and there was also no C-FLEX back in those early frontier days either. I started out using a nasal mask and my pressure at the time I was initially diagnosed was "16".

[nanwilson]

I have just turned 68, last week, have been on the hose since April.
I am a widow so didn't know I snored, but would wake up occasionally in panic mode, couldn't breathe..................you know the drill.
Went camping with my girls last summer, I stayed in the motorhome and the girls were in their tent. One night we had a storm, it rained so hard one side of the tent collapsed, so the girls grabbed their sleeping bags and hopped into the safety of the motorhome with me. This was about midnight, at about 3am they both went back to the wet, collapsed tent grumbling the whole time. When I asked what their problem was I got it full blast. "You snore so loud and with every snore, you choke................we can't sleep in here, a wet tent is better than all that noise !!!!!!"
You guessed it....I'm now on the hose...no snoring or choking....YIPPPPPEEEEE.
Cheers
Nan

[nosenabook]

I was curious at to what age members are now and what age they were diagnosed?

I just heard my aunt, who is near 80, was diagnosed a month ago and loves her CPAP.

[chunkyfrog]

Those who have been diagnosed at younger ages, do not despair.
Those of us who have been finally diagnosed have suffered many years--you can be spared that misery.
--Science may even provide better solutions--or a CURE!

[Chaos-Jones]

Was diagnosed in my early 20's......probably around 22. I couldn't afford a good cpap machine back then and didn't want to acknowledge the problem. My early experience with masks and machines scared me off.

I'm 31 now and with a few health problems have decided to stop ignoring the problem and have resumed treatment with good success.

[CCDelaney]

I am 28 and was diagnosed 3 months ago, also age 28. My sister has said I have snored my whole life and hated sharing rooms on family trips with me, but it wasn't until I got married last year and my husband was sleeping with a pillow over his head that I decided to discuss with my doctor. Simple oximetry test lead to the sleep study and here I am, severe OSA. The day I was diagnosed I cried pretty much all day, thinking, I'm 28 and have a LIFETIME prescription for a machine to breathe at night?!?! But now that I've realized how much it helps me, I'm glad I have it. I've gained weight over the last few years and I'm thinking the lack of energy due to the OSA may have been a factor, so I'm hoping this will be a step in the right direction to get healthier in general!

[Jersey Girl]

Dear SnoozyQ,

I was diagnosed at age 48. I'm still 48. I have been feeling poorly for at least 8 years - always tired, never feeling refreshed from sleep, no matter how much sleep I got. I went from pre-diabetic, to diabetic. I have a heart arythmia. My endo just kept taking more blood and telling me all the things that I did NOT have, such as anemia or mono, etc. It wasn't until I was going in for a surgery and my surgeon insisted I get a sleep test before going under anesthesia for my surgery that any medical doctor suggested a sleep test. I got the test, went back for titration, got an s8 with a pressure of 8, and I feel MUCH better- more like me again. My dad also had severe sleep apnea but at the time he was diagnosed, I really did not know much about it. I think that there is a genetic component.

[SuperGeeky]

Diagnosed age 44, now 48. For me, it's a factor of age and obesity. At times when I was obese, I believe I suffered OSA. It wasn't until I aged and was obese, the Doctor could recognize it as such.

SG

[Rjaye]

Hi, I'm a newbie here, and it's been so nice to read the threads and learning about people's experiences. I also wondered what ages most folks get diagnosed with OSA.

I was diagnosed at age 42, received a RemStar Auto, which is called "The Tank" apparently. I lost a lot of weight, and went off of the hose because I thought I could. I never could acclimate myself to the CPAP because the only mask I had was a nasal mask, which is not very good for someone with nasal issues ranging from allergies to infections to a severely deviated septum.

I'm 49, and wiser. I went back on the machine, except this time I got a full face Resmed Quattro. Oh, my! I wasn't sure what I had gotten myself into, but when I slept 8 straight hours the first time, I was amazed. I hadn't slept that long in I don't know how long.

So with the commenters encouraging the younger folks to stick with their CPAP, I can just add my voice. I am feeling better and rested and stronger. The mask made such a difference, and being much more proactive supports my habit.

I have really been enjoying everyone's comments!

[Llama]

Diagnosed at 38, but now that I know the symptoms of OSA I believe that I have had it at least since college (I recently remembered being woken up by the fireguard at Ft Lewis asking if I was okay because I was gasping, which annoyed me to be awake more than anything at the time). Diagnosis was probably hindered because I never reported being overly sleepy - ever, despite my study reporting severe OSA. ::::

[packitin]

I'm in my golden years at last. But, unfortunately, they came at the same time my senior years came, which seems to take some of the fun out of them.