Sleep Apnea Diagnosis in ... a Restaurant?!

[sleepguide]

My sleep certified physician once let me in on his little secret: he can diagnose Sleep Apnea in a person while sitting across a crowded room from that person in a restaurant. Now, he qualified this by saying that he'd only be able to do so with 85% accuracy, but still... it came as quite a shock to me. Especially when he told me how he'd do it. It wasn't by looking at their waistline or gut. It certainly wasn't from hearing them snore. No, he'd do it just by looking at their jaw. If it were narrow enough, he'd be fairly certain they had sleep apnea. No polysomnography or home test involved. The narrower the jaw structure, he reasoned, the more crowded the airway, and the more likely breathing problems while asleep would occur.

Which dispels one of the myths about Sleep Apnea: that it's a disorder for overweight, middle-aged men. I myself am not overweight (I am 6 feet tall and weigh 179 pounds); and I'm not middle-aged (I just turned 35), but I have Sleep Apnea. My friends who have Sleep Apnea don't fit the mold either. They're my age, and pretty fit.

I think Sleep Apnea is under-diagnosed in people who don't fit the mold. Doctors are all too human, and it's a rare general physician who is on the lookout for Sleep Apnea to begin with. Even when they are educated about Sleep Apnea, they're looking for the "usual suspects" -- overweight, middle-aged men. As the medical profession becomes more educated and aware of Sleep Apnea, this will change. When doctors start approaching fit young women with narrow jaws at restaurants, we'll know the day has come.
http://www.sleepguide.com/profiles/blog ... nosis-in-a

[Julie]

Seems a bit simplistic to me, but then he was probably trying to impress you, and the premise is not wrong of course, but I'd be careful about going up to anyone who 'fits' and tell them they should be checked out !

[mbridget]

wow...that is interesting. I wonder how much of us had braces (or should have in my case) because of overcrowding due to our small jaws.

[sleepycarol]

Interesting.

Maybe more doctors will sit up and take notice that slim young people may not have the typical profile but may still be at risk.

[Bookbear]

And perhaps some docs won't be quite as ready to say (repeatedly) to their patients, "Just lose the weight and the apnea will go away."

[dvejr]

Speaking of false assumptions:
I think when men of a certain age report to their doctors that they awaken several times a night (and go to the bathroom), it is always ascribed to an enlarged prostate. In my case, that was irrelevant.
CPAP treatment of my OSA raised my oxygen levels (decreasing kidney activity) and eliminated the OSA arousals. The toilet trips disappeared -- without my benignly-enlarged prostate shrinking a bit!

Doug

[ScottyT]

When I first met my sleep doc, it was after my first sleep study. We were meeting to go over results. The first thing she said to me? "Oh, yeah -- you have an apnea jaw."

[CollegeGirl]

Wow. How interesting.

I had my wisdom teeth surgically taken out at a young age because my teeth were already way too crowded without those even coming in. I also had braces due to overcrowding. And I also have a slight overbite (my lower jaw is recessed). I also have an unusually small mouth.

I knew I'd had this since I was little - maybe now I know why.

[GumbyCT]

I believe it is possible, sure. I think OSA is as common as arthritis and cavities. The only thing more common is denial. And just like lifes' other ailments - there are NO age requirements.

Deep thoughts:
If the avg. male lives to be 78y/o would 35 y/o be middle aged? Or is middle aged only one day?

[Captain_Midnight]

SG writes...I think Sleep Apnea is under-diagnosed in people who don't fit the mold.

I agree completely.

As one with a standard-sized jaw, and of normal weight, I would add a few more things for your doc to look for.

First would be a history of a deviated nasal septum. It's truly amazing how many posters here have that.

Second would be a longer-than-average uvula. This is a totally useless stopper in the air supply line.

And, third would be an unusual hyoid process (a bone that's suspended in your airway.).

There are others, of course, but these are of interest to me (because I have the first two, and suspect the third.)

Interesting post!

Regards - - Capt M.

.

Reta

[jskinner]

First would be a history of a deviated nasal septum. It's truly amazing how many posters here have that.

Got it.

Second would be a longer-than-average uvula.

Got it.

I also had the teeth over crowding in the mouth. Around 1997 I head three teeth removed and had braces to straiten the remaining teeth. Guess what happened at the same time, my sleep got worse. Didn't make the connection until years later after I was diagnosed with sleep apnea. Getting those teeth removed and moving those teeth made my mouth cavity even smaller pushing my tongue back more. A mistake in retrospect.

[Bluebonnet_Gal]

I had permanent teeth removed due to overcrowding before I could even get braces to begin to straighten the teeth that remained. A few years later as my wisdom teeth started to push through (in my early 20's), they popped one of my lower teeth out of place. I had been putting off getting them (my wisdom teeth) removed as recommended by both my dentist and orthodontist, but after a tooth went crooked, I got them out in a hurry. I didn't want the years with braces and the $ my parents put into them to go to waste just to let my teeth get overcrowed and crooked again. My dentist has commented that I have a very small mouth. It's all making sense now and I'm thinking my OSA has had a lot to do with the weight I've put on over the years and the increasing difficulty to lose weight and stick to a healthy diet and exercise program!

I really appreciate this info as it is helping me to feel less guilty and more in control of my future! Now I know I'm on the right track and feeling more motivated and encouraged than ever!

[Ms Piggy]

Maybe our dentists should make a tactful suggestion as they would seem to be in a better position to notice
some of the signs. Many of our Doctors don't seem to be much help - I complained about my early morning headaches
for years. I also have a smallish chin but no other obvious signs. The current list of signs of OSA perhaps should be expanded.
I must say that when I see someone with a receding chin I have an urge to ask them if they are a hoser too.

[Bluebonnet_Gal]

Maybe our dentists should make a tactful suggestion as they would seem to be in a better position to notice
some of the signs. Many of our Doctors don't seem to be much help - I complained about my early morning headaches
for years. I also have a smallish chin but no other obvious signs. The current list of signs of OSA perhaps should be expanded.
I must say that when I see someone with a receding chin I have an urge to ask them if they are a hoser too.

My son's ortho says my son has a receding chin. I'm fearful he's likely to develop OSA at some point in his life. At least I know the signs and hopefully he can get help sooner in life than I did!

[sleepguide]

i know that the scientists researching Sleep Apnea are getting into the genetic underpinnings of Sleep Apnea. it will be interesting to see how pre-determined OSA is.