POLL: A Snapshot of the Health Problems of Forum Members

[mars]

Hi Everybody

We hear of many different ailments on the Forum, and there are many different threads concerning them.

I have done a number of searches to see which health problems come up the most, and have put them into a Poll.

The Poll assumes that virtually all respondents are compliant with cpap therapy, so the health problems are the on-going baggage we are still carrying, and which are likely to have been caused or exacerbated by previously untreated Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) in the past.

The Poll has the goal of a limited snapshot of the most mentioned health concerns of Forum members. The number of options allowed do not make it possible to include other ailments that we have, our current age, or time in therapy, age when started therapy, etc.

I think I have included all the major topics that come up, and I apologise if I have missed out on your particular ailment or ailments, or simply got it wrong.

cheers

Mars

[BlackSpinner]

Weight problem - but it is only 30 lbs.

Blood pressure but it is under control

ALLERGIES & POST MENOPAUSAL

[ldj325]

You left out all of us with primarily central apneas and periodic breathing.

[mars]

You left out all of us with primarily central apneas and periodic breathing.

Hi ldj325

The polls only allow 10 options.

Central apneas and periodic breathing is covered, as best it can be in this poll, by the 2nd option.

cheers

Mars

[snuginarug]

I understand that there are limitations re format, and you squeezed in all you could. I am, however, curious about something that you could not fit in: fibromyalgia. I would love to hear anecdotal information on this topic--- did you have it before cpap, do you still have it now, has it gotten better, etc? I am curious because I have a couple of friends with fibromyalgia. I was just speaking to a nurse today and she said fibromyalgia can be artificially induced by preventing sleep, as in interrogation situations. So I am very interested in anything people might have to contribute.

[WearyOne]

I realize you were limited on the number of poll choices, so I'm curious as to whether you meant to include high blood pressure in heart problems (you can have high blood pressure and not have a heart problem) or you were just looking for heart problems period.

[mars]

I realize you were limited on the number of poll choices, so I'm curious as to whether you meant to include high blood pressure in heart problems (you can have high blood pressure and not have a heart problem) or you were just looking for heart problems period.

Hi WearyOne

Edited to reflect that blood pressure is now together with heart problems

I am already thinking that another poll, based on the experience of this one, with the major health problems that were left off this one included. And then do a merge of the two polls and present the results together.. It is unlikely the poll options we have will increase any time soon.

cheers

Mars

[CAsleep]

If you do another poll, here are a couple other suggestions:

-I still have daytime sleepiness that is abnormal (I mention this because I consider sleepiness different than tiredness...sleepiness is in your head/consciousness...tiredness is in your body)

-something encompassing those who can't get enough hours of sleep or who awaken frequently....however, it would be hard to differentiate between that as a symptom of menopause vs. something else, which may skew the results.


I was also wondering if anyone here has been diagnosed with "dysautonomia," Post Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), or Neurally Mediated Hypotension? Normally with this condition, your blood pressure does not adjust when you stand (it becomes too low), and the source of this is autonomic nervous system dysfunction. (aka, "dysautonomia") Or, the body will just have a hard time getting blood to the top half of the body, because of blood pressure issues (I don't think people with high blood pressure have this problem...it's normally blood pressure that's too low). There is a spectrum of symptoms surrounding this like heart palpitations, some people faint, some feel dizzy, some have low energy, etc.

The reason I ask is that central sleep apnea can be (or should I just say, "is"?) due to dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system. And those other conditions I listed have the same cause, so they are in a cluster together (autonomic nervous system controls blood pressure so you don't faint, etc).

[mars]

Hi All

Just discovered that I can change the poll criteria, so have now included blood pressure with heart problems. So I hope not too many with blood pressure without heart problems have already polled. However, if you have, if you post about that, or PM me, I will include that in the final wrap up.

Thanks CAsleep for your suggestions, will sort them all out for next time.

cheers

Mars

[Rogue Uvula]

One disappointing aspect of this poll is while it says there were 165 votes (at the time I am looking at it), we don't know how many people that represents. It could be 33 people with 5 symptoms each or 55 people with 3 symptoms each, etc.
I don't know if there is a way to get a sense of how many ailments are typical using the poll feature.
Cheers,
Rogue

[Refugee]

I marked I only have OSA. Before CPAP I was taking meds for GERD and was 50 lbs overweight. I have since lost the weight and am no longer take meds for GERD, CPAP treatment seems to have have rid me of GERD.

[echo]

and hypothyroidism

[elena88]

all I can say is that I didnt click just one of those puppies!

good grief, osa is like a friggen pyrimid scheme of related health issues.. and none of them are fun!


I kept telling my husband.. I dont want this, and that, and this and the other thing, I just want ONE thing..

I want to fix ONE thing..

then I find out I have osa..

if only found out about thirty years ago.. I wouldnt have had to click, click, click, click!

you youngsters who find out early, you are so, very, very lucky..

[mars]

One disappointing aspect of this poll is while it says there were 165 votes (at the time I am looking at it), we don't know how many people that represents. It could be 33 people with 5 symptoms each or 55 people with 3 symptoms each, etc.
I don't know if there is a way to get a sense of how many ailments are typical using the poll feature.
Cheers,
Rogue

I have already spoken about this to ForumAdmin when I did a previous poll.

On the 8th July I sent Johnny the following message -

We are now in the final stages of a poll on Cpap backup.

Because of the nature of the questions, it would be very useful to know the number of Forum members who have polled. This would be quite separate from the percentages, which in most instances in this poll do not tell us anything.

When I wrap up I will calculate the number of pollsters from the first 2 questions, but I have no guarantee that this will be accurate - although I think it will be pretty accurate.

If you could add a simple counter, giving the number of members who have polled, I think this would be very helpful in some future polls.

In a previous version of this post I erroneously said that I had not received a reply. This was my memory failing me, in fact I got this reply -

To learn more about the software we use to run CPAPtalk.com you can visit phpbb.com. Although we do make occasional hacks to the core software, you can expect polls and related add ons to be "stock".

As a result, the best place for a feature requests relating to polls is phpbb.com.

http://www.google.com.au/search?q=phpbb ... cial&clien

So it looks like we have the solution in our own hands, if anyone is willing to pick up on that.

The only current alternative that I can think of is to have another poll, with one question only - did you vote in the Health Problems Poll. But there could be no guarantee of the accuracy of that poll, and it would be messy in application.

I know I am pushing the current poll format as far as it can currently go, but, like others, I am trying to make the poll a useful adjunct to our therapy, rather than just an entertainment device. It is now probably too late to add another poll using it just as a counter.

What we will be able to do is take all the items together and call that 100%, and then see what percentage of pollsters have that health problem. As you rightly pointed out, we cannot know what percentage of pollsters had a particular combination of health problems.

Now, I am no mathematician. If anybody out there knows of other things we can do, or even if I am right in what I have above - please post. I always thought this poll would be pushing the limits, and that has rightly been seen as the case.

What we will find out, I think, are what the most common problems are in relation to each other, rather than in relation to the number of pollsters. I think this will still be useful to us, but if we are able to add a poll counter, (and maybe extend the options) then a newer and improved version of this poll, taking into account all the posts about it, would be in order.

cheers

Mars

PS The many edits have occurred when I have corrected the text as I have remembered more.

[thewetlizard]

I also have a hernia which can't be fixed until I lose some of my weight.