It was easy to do. By being at least relatively knowledgeable about sleep apnea, how it affects you both short term and long term, how XPAP therapy works, and the importance of being compliant with the therapy, etc. If you think a loved one or friend might have sleep apnea, do them a favor and talk to them about it. You know the major symptoms, you've lived them. Are they in the same boat? Perhaps they have sleep apnea, but have yet to be screened or simply do not know that it's a thing. Both an aunt and uncle that I convinced to get checked have been diagnosed now, one with moderate and one severe.
By introducing them to the possibility of them having sleep apnea and supplying factual information, you could help save their life in the long run.
Remember:
Up to 80% (!!!) of "moderate and severe" sleep apnea remain undiagnosed, according to estimations. That could be your wife, husband, father, mother, brother, best friend, etc. If they're showing the signs, talk to them about it and see if they're receptive, you might just save them from a heart attack or stroke later on.Sleep disorders, including sleep apnea, have become a significant health issue in the United States. It is estimated that 22 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea, with 80 percent of the cases of moderate and severe obstructive sleep apnea undiagnosed.
We now return you to your regularly scheduled webpage/blog/cat video.
Once the quack of a DO left the clinic, her new primary care physician referred her to a sleep specialist, and she originally was diagnosed with OSA but later became CSA. During one of my mom's visits to the sleep specialist, he looked asked if I had sleep apnea based off of my neck and the structure of my mouth. I told him no, I didn't have it, that my results came back negative. . .fast forward a few years later, a friend seen I was falling asleep a lot during the day with him and was snoring. I seen a new pulomnologist and got the sleep study done, and it was positive. Fast forward again and I'm seeing the same sleep specialist who my mom was a patient of, who noticed my neck and mouth structure.
