If you tested the public how many new OSA patients would the

[sewsleepy]

This is a question I have wondered about, too. I think a lot of people suffer with sleep apnea and have no clue.

I like that cpap hose ribbon idea!

I actually went to my doctor for help because I would wake up during the night straining for breath against a closed throat, so hard all my chest and throat muscles would be sore and my head would feel like someone smacked me with a board in the back of it. I had terrible sleep and I felt terrible. He told me I "could not have sleep apnea because I'm not overweight." So, I suffered another 10 years before I said to myself, this has got to be apnea. I went to a new doctor and demanded help and she referred me for a sleep study. The rest is history. I get angry sometimes because I wasted so much time feeling crappy but at least I have today.

[KEQ5]

I'm slowly working on my work buddy, who knows he needs to be tested, but can't be bothered to go.

So he gets to hear about my 3x-6x per night bathroom visits that are now only 1x-2x, or the morning headaches I used to wake up with, or not being able to stay awake past 4pm in the day. Approaching it from "hey, these are the symptoms" side.

As to how much of the public probably has OSA? Well, out of the people I know, about 3-5% are on CPAP already. And I can think about that many who probably have it but aren't treated.

[themonk]

Given the variability in AHI from one night to the next, the variability/difficulty (read: errors) in PSG scoring, the range of scoring criteria available for sleep labs, and the fact that apparently every person on Earth has it to some degree, I would suspect the chances are good that anyone could get snagged if the stars aligned.

Nothing I can prove, of course, but just my suspicion based on how loosey-goosey this whole apnea thing is.

[jnk]

The quesion, to my way of thinking, shouldn't be 'who has OSA and who doesn't' but should be 'who can benefit from CPAP and who can't.'

CPAP is like glasses in that even some people with relatively good vision can still gain substantial benefit from the correction.

Vision is important, especially if you drive. Likewise, sleep is important, and that is so for similar safety and public-health reasons.

If you go to an eye doc and say "I'm having trouble seeing," he is likely to look into whether glasses could help you. Similarly, if you go to a sleep doc and say you are exhausted and sleepy all the time despite what is considered sufficient time "asleep," he is likely to look into whether helping your sleep-breathing would improve your quality of life and health and safety overall.

He only needs a name for that, a "diagnosis," in order for insurance to agree to pay for finding out.

[Suddenly Worn Out]

Maybe we need to make some little "yellow ribbon" type magnetic stickers, but they'll look like a CPAP hose. Plus some little "livestrong" type bracelets made from mini-CPAP hose.

Unfortunately, no one wants to face up to apnea and do CPAP until they're seriously ill. Sometimes, not even then.

I've had almost no success telling people they need a sleep test and/or CPAP.

Ive encountered a lot of very hostile attitudes about it. "How can you sleep with that equipment on????" is the usual remark I get. The only people who seem to like it I know of are my doctors and my immediate family. CPAP cut my irritability by at least 50% so my immediate family loves it LOL. If I dont use CPAP I am so irritable and agitated I about cannot be around people much.

Eric

[-tim]

they died in their sleep of natural causes probably.

But did they take anyone with them as their car decided to find out it didn't have an auto pilot?

I expect my ex-gf's father died of sleep apena combined with our governments "slow down to save lives" and was about 3 hours into a 2 hour drive when his car went into the median and hit a tree. He used to stop for a break at a place just a few more minutes down the road but every time the government runs ads to get the teenagers to stop driving so fast, its only the slowest drivers on the road who seem to accept the message and they slow down even more with a spike in accidents. If you want to imagine this road, think about driving 45 mph on a western Kansas Interstate Highway. The tree he hit was one of a few but it kept the car from entering the other lane. He had all the normal symptoms: high BP, snored, dozed off at the table or watching TV, overweight, out of it way too often and cranky.

[The Sheikh]

Unfortunately, no one wants to face up to apnea and do CPAP until they're seriously ill. Sometimes, not even then.
I've had almost no success telling people they need a sleep test and/or CPAP.

Amen.

I have two friends who are in denial. One has had two sleep studies but refuses to use his CPAP machine. He yawns all day, takes several naps and has bags under his eyes. The problem is I work with him and it affects our overall performance. He's seen me go from the pits to feeling like an athlete over the last few months. But I still can't get him to budge. I even offered to pay for him to have another sleep study (home) and lend him my newer machine to try, but Nooo!

It's probably as difficult trying to persuade someone to stop smoking or lose weight. I don't understand why people don't JUMP when they see an opportunity to get more healthy. It just doesn't make sense to me to go thru life feeling bad IF we have a choice - or at least give it a serious TRY.... sigh.

Tom

[archangle]

Maybe we should make a point to "accidentally" mention to the apneacs' spouses that CPAP will stop the snoring.

[purple]

IMO. People will regularly do xPAP when they convince themselves that they will, or are getting benefit from doing xPAP therapy. Sleep Docs know that this, and beyond giving the statistics and making an intellectual argument to a potential, they will not try to to be like a high school cheerleader.

To continue on:

It is extremely hard to stay with treatment if we have the correct numbers on our machine. Making it even harder to stay with treatment is that some of us have had the really terrible waking nightmare of a poor titration, the real consequence is that their machine does not have settings to properly treat their Apnea. Many more of us have had problems finding the right mask, whether that is because of poor DME experience or our own need being unusual. I feel that trying to overcome inaccurate information from a Titration, by changing the machine to auto only makes beginning xPAP treatment more difficult. What else are those who are not getting good sleep to do?

I think it is more important that emphasize that the value of xPAP treatment is not longevity, or reduced cardiovascular events. What is important is quality of life: More energy. More enjoyment of life. The little things that a new patient sees first are the ones which a potential might value, getting up less at night. Not nodding off when ______. I am sure everyone has their own list.

[archangle]

I think part of the problem is that we get fed so much BS from people who want to us to do what they consider healthy. We get told:

1. Lose weight.
2. Exercise.
3. Eat healthy foods. (But everyone has a different idea about what's healthy.)
4. Brush and floss often.
5. Eat organic food, even though there's no evidence it is actually beneficial and any possible benefit is small.
6. Get x hours of sleep a night.
7. Get a sleep test and use CPAP.
8. The People's Democratic Republic of New York is going to save you by banning trans fat and big drink cups.
9. Take this herbal Hooha root extract, despite it not showing any statistical effect in clinical trials.
10. Get regular checkups and this series of tests at certain ages.
11. Get vaccinated for X.
12. Stop smoking.
13. Stop drinking.
14. etc.

All of the above things are told to us with equal emphasis. Some are good advice, some are very iffy. Unfortunately, it all gets "marketed" to us with equal vigor.

What we simply fail to get across is that apena/CPAP is not like many of the other things. Apnea and CPAP are like diabetes and insulin. It's not iffy. You show apnea on the test, you need the CPAP. Or it's like hemophilia and treatment for it. Do or die.

CPAP is also simpler in a lot of ways. You don't have to cut on your body. You don't have to put any chemicals in you. There are usually no major systemic side effects.

How do we get across to people that CPAP isn't one of those wishy-washy feel good optional but good for you things?