What is Sleep Apnea

[ACS05]

Hey, I'm 18 and really new to this whole sleep apnea thing. I have to go next week to have the sleep study and I'm kinda scared. The doctor says my throat is to narrow and I was just woundering if anyone else has this same condition and if so..... could you help me out and give me some information on it

[Liam1965]

Don't be concerned. Apnea refers to cessation of breathing for short periods of time during your sleep.

The most common kind is OSA, Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Your throat relaxes and starts to close, you (usually) snore for a bit, then it closes entirely, and you awaken when your body realizes it.

There is also Central Apnea, which is when your brain forgets to keep breathing, but that's far less common, IIRC.

With OSA, there are then varying degrees, depending upon how deep a sleeper you are. For me, I have a non-damaging kind (I disagree with the terminology, but...) meaning that I awake before the oxygen level in my blood drops sufficiently to do damage to my organs. The damage to ME is just that I never get enough restful sleep, and so I'm always tired and in a bit of a fog.

If your oxygen level DOES dip, then you run the risk (long term) of damage to organs, which CAN have nasty additional effects later in life.

But really, there's nothing to worry about. Lots of people live with apnea for years and have no idea. Some find out and STILL decide the symptoms aren't as bad as the treatment (for them) and give up on CPAP.

Keep in mind, all they're doing is a test, to tell you if you have a condition or not. Even if you come out of it knowing you have apnea but deciding to do nothing about it just now, at least you'll KNOW, and you'll have the ability to do some more serious research and decide what it means for you.

Liam, standing in for Information Boy on his day off.

[Liam1965]

Your throat relaxes and starts to close, you (usually) snore for a bit, then it closes entirely, and you awaken when your body realizes it.

It occurs to me on re-reading, this is kind of a scary quote.

Keep in mind that this happens on the scale of seconds to maybe a minute or so. I'm not talking about your throat closing up and you CAN'T breathe. I just mean that it relaxes so that it closes up until your brain reacts, tenses the muscle back up, and lets you start breathing again. As my doctor told me: Apnea doesn't kill anyone. The long term damage from it might, but you just don't hear about people asphyxiating from apnea, because your body wakes up and fixes the problem.

That's why one of the main symptoms of apnea is being overtired: You're constantly waking (or at least rousing from REM sleep, although you may not recall actually awakening) in order to breathe again.

Liam, who needs to be more careful with his phrasing.

[Big Snore]

Very well done liam,

You are an asset to us at this site


Corey

[MartiniLover]

There is nothing to be scared of in thaking a test. You should look forward to it so that you get the results and it will let you know what journey you are on.
If you if fact have apnea, the journey is just starting. For some it is a short ride, for others it is a long trip to find out what is exactly wrong, what works as a fix, and the ability to maintain it after you get going.

My advice for a first timer, take it when you want to, not when they want you to.

My doctor told me when I had the second one, to go when I usually fall asleep, and if I drink beer with dinner (which I usually do), to drink a beer. Don't do anything different than normal for you.

If they tell you that you need a machine, etc., do your homework first. The next day is to late. With the deluxe machines available, life can be so much easier and enjoyable. Don't let a liittle money stand between you and happiness.

Good luck!

[Paul B]

Clinically, apnea is defined as more than 5 occurences per hour of breathing cessation for 10 seconds or longer with O2 desaturation of 3% or more.

[Liam1965]

Clinically, apnea is defined as more than 5 occurences per hour of breathing cessation for 10 seconds or longer with O2 desaturation of 3% or more.

Not that I'm disputing you, because I only know what I've been told... That said, my sleep doctor told me I had "classic apnea" with some number of events per hour (I think it was 25 or 30), but that my blood oxygenation never dipped.

So maybe he was saying that it never dipped DANGEROUSLY, or maybe just the events are enough to be apnea, or maybe technically I don't have apnea, just an apnea-like syndrome.

I'm curious where you got your definition. (And yes, I really am not challenging it's veracity, I've just got the type of mind that likes to resolve things when there's a discrepancy.)

Liam, who has the type of mind that likes to... repeat things, apparently.

[Paul B]

Hi Liam,

No problem. I remember reading that definition in one of my sleep apnea books; now I've got to go and find which one. My memory is a lot better than it was before I was on Autopap, thank goodness.

I'll have to get back to you. 3% desaturation is very little; many people drop 30-40% with sleep apnea. Since you say you don't have sleep apnea, that must be why you didn't experience O2 desaturations.

Paul

[Liam1965]

3% desaturation is very little; many people drop 30-40% with sleep apnea. Since you say you don't have sleep apnea, that must be why you didn't experience O2 desaturations.

I don't think I said I don't have apnea. I was told I *DO* have apnea. I was told I DON'T have O2 desaturations.

But again, maybe what he meant was that it didn't drop much. A 3-5% drop won't damage organs like a regular 30-40% drop will, so perhaps that was what they meant.

Liam, who appreciates the information.