Suspected sleep apnea- age 22

[Rydog22]

Good evening everyone.

I am a 22 y/o male, who is a final year student at University.

I have a suspicion that I may have sleep apnea, but unsure how to go about it, and I feel that the Uni Doctors may not take me seriously.

So my symptoms:

1) I often wake up tired......but I tend to wake up gradually during the day.
2) I can get fatigue during the day, but I am a bit of a night owl. But like I said, I tend to 'suddenly' wake up and get this energy burst.
3) I snore. When I have not been drinking, its not terrible, but I certainly do snore. The snorelab phone app showed it to be mainly mild, but some loud snores too. However, if I have hit the town on vodka and wine, it is apparently 'awful' 'sounds like a whale'...'I could snore for England'. It is basically shockingly loud if I am intoxicated on alcohol.

I have a half uncle who has a severe case of sleep apnea....genetic link maybe?
However,
My mother snores very loudly but apparently has no apnea.
I do get the REM sleep when I havent been drinking, as I can recall dreaming.


So, does this sound like potential apnea? Or could I just simply be a snorer? I am in two minds about it. I think that if I do have apnea, I am likely a 'mild' case (for now). But then some denial sets in and I don't think I have it.
I am also understandably very hestitant to wear a CPAP machine at my age.

ALSO:
1) I am not overweight at all. In good shape.
2) I used to smoke 20 cigs a day (Shocking I know). I now smoke every now and then.

[jim22]

Its worth finding out for sure. Demand a sleep study, even an at home one will do. If you do have apnea, you will have caught it before much damage has been done.
Jim

[Rydog22]

Its worth finding out for sure. Demand a sleep study, even an at home one will do. If you do have apnea, you will have caught it before much damage has been done.
Jim

Thank you for your reply.
If I do detect the potential apnea now, do you think I would need a CPAP or would I more likely be given alternative options?

[TedVPAP]

Its worth finding out for sure. Demand a sleep study, even an at home one will do. If you do have apnea, you will have caught it before much damage has been done.
Jim

Thank you for your reply.
If I do detect the potential apnea now, do you think I would need a CPAP or would I more likely be given alternative options?

Obtain an accurate diagnosis and severity level, then you can make an informed decision regarding treatment (or not) options.

[jim22]

CPAP is the go to therapy, but there are other possibilities. At 22, CPAP could be a bit invasive, even at 53 its a bit of a mood killer, but it wouldn't be the end of your world. Its been the beginning of mine!
Jim

[jim22]

Oh, and I probably had OSA in college too.
Jim

[Rydog22]

Oh, and I probably had OSA in college too.
Jim

Interesting. How long have you been snoring for. Like do you remember when you were first told you snore?

[TedVPAP]

Oh, and I probably had OSA in college too.
Jim

Interesting. How long have you been snoring for. Like do you remember when you were first told you snore?

My older brother had surgery for his OSA when he was 19. I also had bad snoring, especially when drinking, at the same age but did nothing. After my 3rd heart ablation procedure and dangerous driving, my new heart doctor said we should test for OSA (OSA strongly correlates with arrhythmias). My response was of course I have OSA. Testing confirmed my rate was 60 which is severe. So the point to understand is that OSA will take its toll over time.

[Julie]

Rydog - many people with apnea never snore(d) and many people who snore don't have apnea.

[Rydog22]

Rydog - many people with apnea never snore(d) and many people who snore don't have apnea.

Yes true, but I do have the fatigue symptoms too.

[palerider]

Rydog - many people with apnea never snore(d) and many people who snore don't have apnea.

Yes true, but I do have the fatigue symptoms too.

Snoring in and of itself is bad, it makes you have to work harder to get the air, so you're not getting as much rest. I've put a cpap on people that snored badly, and they ended up feeling better after using it for a while.

[DreamStalker]

I was first told about my snoring in my early 20's but had never heard of sleep apnea until my mid 40's when I was first diagnosed with a very severe case of it. In my 20's I was not at all overweight due to high frequency of intense physical activities. By the time I got into my 30's I was beginning to have occasional daytime sleepiness and morning headache symptoms and by my early 40's began gaining significant weight, lethargy, and frequently getting up to pee in the middle of the night added onto my symptoms.

It builds over time into a cascade of multiple endocrine and cardiovascular health issues. As others have noted, you should get checked out before it damages your body. Had I known about sleep apnea way back in my early 20's, I would have started taking care of it as soon as possible. You should be covered under your parent's insurance for now and I would get it all taken care of before all that goes away.

[RicaLynn]

Rydog - many people with apnea never snore(d) and many people who snore don't have apnea.

Yes true, but I do have the fatigue symptoms too.

I was first told about my snoring in primary school -- I had a friend sleep over in my large bed and when I woke in the morning she was on the couch. She had hit me over the head with her teddy bear as her last ditch effort to quiet me, and then gave up! I was an average size child, otherwise healthy and active, and though I carry a few extra pounds now I'm not what the medical community would consider obese.

There is a strong familial link to apnea, and my father had a very severe case. I demanded a sleep study at 39, because I have a small child at home who needs me healthy. If you can get a study now you may head off a plethora of possible health complications later, but understand that CPAP is the go-to treatment. It's more effective and less risky than any other mode of medical treatment, and far less invasive than surgery that only has a 50/50 chance of working.

[Rydog22]

Oh dear, I hope that you found something to hit her back with!

Joking haha.

Yes I do understand CPAP is the standard and most effective treatment, but also please understand that at my age, especially when I don't see my case being very severe (although I need medical confirmation), I would like to explore other options rather than jump straight to a CPAP. But yes I understand CPAP is standard treatment and my health is more important.

My main concern about my CPAP is intimacy issues when it comes to dating. Especially at such a young age!

[DreamStalker]

Oh dear, I hope that you found something to hit her back with!

Joking haha.

Yes I do understand CPAP is the standard and most effective treatment, but also please understand that at my age, especially when I don't see my case being very severe (although I need medical confirmation), I would like to explore other options rather than jump straight to a CPAP. But yes I understand CPAP is standard treatment and my health is more important.

My main concern about my CPAP is intimacy issues when it comes to dating. Especially at such a young age!

Trust me ... the kinky girls are way more fun, especially at such a young age.