Mild sleep apnea may actually be severe?

I read some where you can not judge how sleep apnea affects a person based on their diagnosis of mild, moderate, or severe?

For example, a person with mild sleep apnea may actually be very affected by it while a person with severe sleep apnea may not be so affected by it?

I have been diagnosis as mild OSA and because of that my doctor is not taking my sleep apnea seriously..

aaronb wrote:I read some where you can not judge how sleep apnea affects a person based on their diagnosis of mild, moderate, or severe?

For example, a person with mild sleep apnea may actually be very affected by it while a person with severe sleep apnea may not be so affected by it?

Right. The "official" classification of severity is based only on frequency of events. It does not take into account, for example, how long the events last, and how low the blood oxygen level goes during those events. All of which affect the actual severity of the condition.

Then there are individual factors such as age and health status that could also affect one's vulnerability to the impact of the condition.

What do you mean when you say your doctor is not taking your apnea seriously?

aaronb wrote:I read some where you can not judge how sleep apnea affects a person based on their diagnosis of mild, moderate, or severe?

For example, a person with mild sleep apnea may actually be very affected by it while a person with severe sleep apnea may not be so affected by it?

I have been diagnosis as mild OSA and because of that my doctor is not taking my sleep apnea seriously..

I doubt that ANY of us went to sleep one night and had "SEVERE" sleep apnea. It crept up on us little by little until we got to where we were when we had our sleep studies. Some have caught their conditions before they got to the "SEVERE" stage. Some have dismissed the possibility that just because they have "MILD" apnea now, that they don't need to do anything about it.

Take it seriously and if your doctor doesn't, find another one.......or take matters into your own hands and start therapy on your own. It's really not all that hard to do.


Den

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aaronb wrote:I read some where you can not judge how sleep apnea affects a person based on their diagnosis of mild, moderate, or severe?

For example, a person with mild sleep apnea may actually be very affected by it while a person with severe sleep apnea may not be so affected by it?

I have been diagnosis as mild OSA and because of that my doctor is not taking my sleep apnea seriously..

Yes, it can be. With a "normal" AHI of 4.9 i felt like crap, but my RDI was in "moderate" category

aaronb wrote:I read some where you can not judge how sleep apnea affects a person based on their diagnosis of mild, moderate, or severe?

For example, a person with mild sleep apnea may actually be very affected by it while a person with severe sleep apnea may not be so affected by it?

I have been diagnosis as mild OSA and because of that my doctor is not taking my sleep apnea seriously..

Looks like you have a data capable CPAP machine. Do you use SleepyHead and track your own results? A lot of people find they have to manage their own treatment because the medical professionals aren't really doing their job to manage their therapy?

What are your AHI numbers?

Are you having problems that make you think it's not working well?