What does Untreated Sleep Apnea do to you?

[seventyone]

It triggered anxiety attacks in me.

[BigWood]

I knowingly went 3 years without going in for a sleep study. I have a 1 hour one-way commute to work everyday, mostly on interstate. I had a hard time driving without finding myself falling asleep without prior warning, and nearly had many accidents. Then a buddy started to work at the same place, so we started carpooling. He insisted on driving all the time (wonder why???), and for me to pay for part of the fuel costs. So three years go by and my apnea worsens to the point that I could not function at work anymore.

Along with the daytime sleepiness largely disappearing while on CPAP, I've had other benefits. For the past 6 months while on CPAP, I've seen my blood pressure decrease steadily. With my untreated OSA, my blood pressure was 140/100. My blood pressure was at 110/70 two weeks ago. No medications needed to lower it, no change in my diet (even though I really need to!), no exercise regimen (again, I really need to!), no other changes whatsoever.

An odd thing that I've noticed recently is that I can hear better. I used to listen to my car stereo at a volume level of 20, but now I can't handle it that loud. I now rock at 14-15, which seems to be the same level as 20 used to sound like. I used to have a hard time understanding people speaking sometimes because they sounded as if they were mumbling, but now I can understand them more clearly. Not sure if CPAP has helped with that, but it's a strange coincidence if not.

Anthony

[DreamOn]

http://www.journals.elsevierhealth.com/ ... 0/abstract
"Previous medical literature has shown that cell injury from hypoxia, such as that induced by sleep apnea, leads to hyperuricemia. Furthermore, a recent study has shown that when hyperuricemia reaches sufficient concentration to precipitate as monosodium urate, a T-cell immune response is triggered. The frequent repetition of this cell injury and immune response over a prolonged time, as would occur with long-term sleep apnea, may lead to the development, continuation, or aggravation of autoimmune disease."

Thanks for posting that, sierragail! I have multiple autoimmune disorders and have been pondering what, if any, connection there may be between them and my sleep apnea.

An odd thing that I've noticed recently is that I can hear better. I used to listen to my car stereo at a volume level of 20, but now I can't handle it that loud. I now rock at 14-15, which seems to be the same level as 20 used to sound like. I used to have a hard time understanding people speaking sometimes because they sounded as if they were mumbling, but now I can understand them more clearly. Not sure if CPAP has helped with that, but it's a strange coincidence if not.

I have read other reports of that here -- almost a new hypersensitivity to sound. I wonder if it could be that the CPAP pressure has cleared the ears of excess fluid?

[roster]

An odd thing that I've noticed recently is that I can hear better. I used to listen to my car stereo at a volume level of 20, but now I can't handle it that loud. I now rock at 14-15, which seems to be the same level as 20 used to sound like. I used to have a hard time understanding people speaking sometimes because they sounded as if they were mumbling, but now I can understand them more clearly. Not sure if CPAP has helped with that, but it's a strange coincidence if not.

Anthony

Anthony, it may not be merely coincidence.

Sleep Apnea, Hearing Loss, and Thick Blood
May 21, 2009
I came across this interesting article in Sleep Medicine, http://www.sleep-journal.com/article/S1 ... 3/abstract , where they showed that in patients with obstructive sleep apnea, a significant number were hemodynamically hyperviscosity positive (282/610 patients). Hyperviscous means that blood is thicker and more prone to clog arteries. Of these 282 patients, 239 had brainstem AEP abnormalities. AEPs are tests for ear neurologic reflexes where clicks are given in one ear and brain waves are measured in response. It tests for inner ear and brainstem function.

Ones that didn’t have hyperviscosity all had normal AEPs. Of these 239 patients, 57 had bilateral sensorineural hearing changes (no waves at all), and 182 patients had significant bilateral signal changes. After 6 months of CPAP, hyperviscosity was normalized in 159 patients. In 112 of these 159 patients a repeat AEP became normal. Of the 80 patients on CPAP that did not normalize, hemodilution therapy resulted in normalization in 61 patients. Hemodilution is when blood is made thinner by removing some blood and adding some saline.

This paper talks about bilateral conditions but also brings up the possibility of unilateral sudden sensorineural hearing loss being explained by this mechanism. It’s in line with my personal observation that every patient that I see with sudden sensorineural hearing loss has a history and exam consistent with an underlying sleep-breathing disorder. The handful that agreed to undergo sleep studies showed significant obstructive sleep apnea in all cases. I think the implications of this paper are enormous.
http://doctorstevenpark.com/index.php?s=hearing

Huh?

[230jhp]

I believe it caused me to develop atrial fibulation

[fidelfs]

I am not the best writing in forums because my mind keep jumping from one idea to the next. So, sometimes the post is not clear.
I have posted before that modern medicine is not curing anything, just simple treating symptoms, this time I will try to do it better

These posts are a good example about what modern medicine should do. CPAP was invented to help for a sleep problem but has provided a fix to too many problems. This time modern medicine has fixed a real problem no the symptoms and look at us, writing about low blood pressure, no GERD, Cognitive, etc.

This treatment is for the whole body not just for small part, no more lipitors, no more proton pump inhibitors, etc. I just wonder what else has cpap fixed. I know I talking about the opposite of the original poster but I think this reinforce his post.

[jnk]

I believe it would be difficult to overestimate the importance of air and of sleep to the health and well-being of any human being. Having good quality air and good quality sleep in the right amounts can only improve things, as I see it.

[Maryland_Mike]

Without CPAP I wake up feeling like I have a really horrible hangover. With CPAP I wake up feeling fantastic. My doctor said this is because of a CO2 buildup which is one cause of hangover symptoms.

[roster]

Without CPAP I wake up feeling like I have a really horrible hangover. With CPAP I wake up feeling fantastic. My doctor said this is because of a CO2 buildup which is one cause of hangover symptoms.

Mike, You and anyone who has suffered from a hangover from drinking alcohol might be interested to read this - http://doctorstevenpark.com/the-hangove ... h#comments.

Dr. Park believes bad hangovers after drinking are mainly due to sleep apnea.

I like that comment by the guy who thinks he can take up drinking again now that he is using CPAP.

[Maryland_Mike]

Dr. Park believes bad hangovers after drinking are mainly due to sleep apnea.

Fascinating, and I am thinking he may be onto something. I will admit that my (friends') hangovers are much less severe since starting CPAP.

[mdboze]

Dr. Park believes bad hangovers after drinking are mainly due to sleep apnea.

Fascinating, and I am thinking he may be onto something. I will admit that my (friends') hangovers are much less severe since starting CPAP.

[torontoCPAPguy]

In my case, aside from no true sleep, it causes my breathing to become so shallow that (a) it results in APNEA events where I stop breathing as my lungs are not strong enough to pull air through the obstructed airway and, more importantly, (b) it results in low oxygen saturation in my blood. The low O2 in my blood results in my blood pressure skyrocketing (into the 250 range at times) and I wake up in a cold sweat. I am advised this can lead to stroke, heart attack, aneurism bursts and will even pop my Aorta right off my heart. Generally, it is very, very unhealthy for you and will cause or contribute to secondary issues like weight gain, diabetes and other goodies.

Undiagnosed sleep apnea is one of the major contributors to various ailments and is often never diagnosed... the other ailments eclipse the sleep apnea issues. Diagnosed and ignored sleep apnea is also one of the largest contributors to other medical issues and the scientific community is only touching the tip of the iceberg in learning all of the other issues it has an effect on... there is a whole plethora of them.

In short, untreated sleep apnea or low blood oxygen saturation contributes to illness and death. End of story.

I am almost in tears here as we had friends over the other night who have a 33 year old son with two beautiful toddlers and he snores like a fiend and drops off to sleep ANYWHERE as soon as he sits down. I was there when he was born. His father was my best man. I stayed at their home on the eve of my wedding. You take it from there. They will not believe that he has anything wrong as his GP says he is fine. Idiot.

[melissa1974]

TorontoCPAPguy-
Your story about your friend just brought me to tears. I am only 36 years old, just a bit older than your friend, and I have two beautiful toddlers of my own. I am the infinitely proud mom of twin boys who are the light of my life. I went through hell and back, battling through infertility for years to be able to have them, and the thought of leaving them alone is what finally motivated me to get a sleep study. I knew something was so terribly wrong with me, even suspected it was sleep apnea, but I didn't want to have to sleep with one of "those masks" on my face.
Well, it turns out that I have severe OSA with an AHI of 96 and also have significant 02 desats, and without treatment I spent over 94% of the night BELOW 70%. I am so grateful for my bipap machine, and for this forum, for the education I am receiving from all of you, about this disease, so that I can continue on this journey and become healthy. I know now that I cannot sleep without my machine, or else I risk leaving behind the two reasons I have for being here on this Earth....my precious boys.
I will pray that you are somehow able to help your friend understand how important it is that he seek treatment.

Best wishes for your continued health and good sleep.

[torontoCPAPguy]

These are two people that believe they have the best doctors and know everything because they watch Dr. Oz on tv every day. It is frustrating and saddening.... I know what lays in store for their boy. We all do. I will perservere until I can convince him or them that he urgently needs a sleep study by a qualified clinic and not just a visit to a GP.

I could chew on nails (now that I know)

Fingers crossed.

[DreamOn]

I have several relatives who choose not to get tested for sleep apnea. One has severe diabetes now. Knowing him, he probably wouldn't wear "the mask" anyway.

It's painful to watch people you care about killing themselves. Sometimes all we can do is deliver the message. Perhaps seeing our own recovery and renewed health will wake them up, and they'll want some of that for themselves. I hope so.