Is sleep apnea being over diagnosed?
Question:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Judy Simon wrote: > The real Norm wrote: >> Well…. one of the very first questions I asked here, 3-4 years ago >> was, "Has anyone ever had a PSG and not been diagnosed with apnea?" >> Never received a response. (I was hoping someone here knew of someone.) > Norm, I wasn’t here 3-4 years ago when you asked this question, but two > years ago I asked the same question to the technician in the sleep lab > who was hooking me up to all the monitors. My initial suspicion also > was that everyone who walked into a sleep lab walked out with a > prescription for CPAP. But the technician said no, not everyone who > comes to the lab is diagnosed with sleep apnea. Then in the morning when > she was disconnecting me, she said that not everyone here gets a sleep > apnea dx but that I certainly would get one 
> Judy
Hi Judy – Well, your input provides an answer to my question! You know someone who knows many who had PSGs and no apnea <g>.
Response:
"elliot gainway" <elig…@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:99061578.0402100007.3498c2ca@posting.google.com… > "The real Norm" <"The real Norm"@socal.rr.com> wrote in message <news:40283158.4060601@socal.rr.com>… > > elliot gainway wrote: > > > First let me say that I am a person who can’t use cpap. I have given > > > it a 4 month try and despite several differant masks I get less sleep > > > with it than without it. That being said, with all the people I am > > > finding that are being diagnosed with it, it is starting to look like > > > more have it than don’t. Maybe they should start issuing cpaps to > > > everyone over 40. In my case, the sleep study was done only on my > > > back. In real life I sleep very little on my back. I sleep mostly on > > > my side. So was the sleep study accurate?
As was pointed out below, most likely titration with back-sleeping would cover for other positions. Other issues, like noise, leaks, and comfort can be addressed… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> > OSA is generallly worse on one’s back. If you were manually titrated on your > > back, the pressure should be adequate to cover the lesser apneas on one’s side. > > So this is not, necesarily, your problem. But the question is….. exactly > > what is your problem? > > Did you have a PSG in a sleep lab? > > Did a diplomated sleep doc write a PSG summary report. > > Was anything other than OSA diagnosed, such as central apnea? > > Do you have a copy of the report? > > Were you manually titrated in a sleep lab? > > Do you know what pressure you were titrated to? > > Do you know if the pressure was set to the titrated pressure? > > Describe your system and how it is set up: > > Manufacturer and name of blower and mask > > Where are the blower and humidifier located? > > How do you manage your hose/tube? Is it suspended? > > Are you aware of any mask leaks? > > Have you checked your hose for leaks? > > Have you had the blower pressure checked? > > That oughta do it for now. > Yes to all your questions. I just can’t sleep with cpap. I can’t stand > the mask on my face or anything up my nose or the noise.
Unless the pressure is high, masks can be fitted "lightly" and some are light-weight, with few straps, and are comfortable at most times. I like the ResMed Ultra Mirage and Activa (the latter is heavier, but with less leakage with movement) and the Respironics Comfort Select nose masks, but others prefer nose-pillows or full-face masks. Masks vary in vent noise levels, and CPAP machines also vary in noise. Mine are not the quietest, but sometimes I check the vent for air flow to see if the machine (Respironics RemStar Pro) is really running – it is almost inaudible. If the pressure is high, a BiPAP machine may help (or the Respironics with "C-Flex", which drops the pressure briefly upon exhaling). I run the hose behind, then over, an up-ended stiff pillow placed against the headboard to keep the hose in order (and to insulate part of it to prevent "rain-out" with use of a humidifier). I use a heated humidifier to avoid nasal drying… > The reason > for my initial post was to question whether cpap manufacturers and > sleep labs are pushing this sleep apnea as an ailment to fuel a new > money making area of health care. I know sleep apnea is a real aliment > and people really have it but after seeing how many people are being > diagnosed with it, you have to wonder if it is being pushed a little. > Also the amount of people that are put on cpap that don’t use it makes > you wonder if they needed it in the first place.
I thought I was sleeping well (except for a break in the middle, around 3-4AM), but a sleep test indicated that the more sleep I got (at the time around 9+ hours/day), the more harm I was doing (very low blood oxygen level, no REM and little deep sleep). An enlarged heart and heart-arrythmia for me (and the death of my father likely caused by the effects of OSA) convinced me of the need to use the CPAP machine "religiously". I put up with the minor problems with it to do it, and now I get about 7-hours/night of better sleep… — David Ruether r…@cornell.edu http://www.ferrario.com/ruether
Response:
The real Norm wrote: > Well…. one of the very first questions I asked here, 3-4 years ago > was, "Has anyone ever had a PSG and not been diagnosed with apnea?" > Never received a response. (I was hoping someone here knew of someone.)
Norm, I wasn’t here 3-4 years ago when you asked this question, but two years ago I asked the same question to the technician in the sleep lab who was hooking me up to all the monitors. My initial suspicion also was that everyone who walked into a sleep lab walked out with a prescription for CPAP. But the technician said no, not everyone who comes to the lab is diagnosed with sleep apnea. Then in the morning when she was disconnecting me, she said that not everyone here gets a sleep apnea dx but that I certainly would get one Judy
Response:
elliot gainway wrote: > "The real Norm" <"The real Norm"@socal.rr.com> wrote in message <news:40283158.4060601@socal.rr.com>…
[cut] Ross reminded me…. here are two tests that also may ‘enforce’ the conclusion that you and your relatives all have a sleep disorder. Ross mentioned the first one. http://www.silentpartners.org/sleep/patients/epworth.htm http://www.newtechpub.com/phantom/question/quiz.html
Response:
Count me in as another woman who was tired for years, struggling with inability to sleep through the night, depression and anxiety, whose quality of life greatly improved after being diagnosed and treated for sleep apnea. It was a pulmonary doctor who first diagnosed my sleep apnea two years ago. I went to him on my own because I wanted to find out if there was anything different a specialist would do to treat my asthma than my family doctor was doing. The pulmonary doctor said I showed no signs of asthma, took me off all the asthma asthma meds except for one anti-inflammatory, and sent me for a sleep study. The problem that had kept sending me back to the family practitioner was waking up at night repeatedly, coughing. The family doc misinterpreted this as a worsening of my asthma. By the time I took myself to the pulmonary doctor, i was on three different asthma meds and still waking up many times a night. Neither the family doc nor I realized that I was gagging for air due to OSA- we all thought I was coughing from an asthma attack. The family doc didn’t take my tiredness as a serious symptom either- that should have been his clue that sleep apnea may be involved. I assumed I wasn’t getting enough oxygen because of the asthma and that must have been what was making me tired, so I didn’t press the issue with him. Anyhow, the pulmonary doctor scheduled the sleep test even though I was a woman and not overweight. The family doctor thought it was unnecessary; he didn’t think I had sleep apnea because I don’t fit the profile of the "typical" OSA patient- its a good thing my health insurance didn’t require a referral from the family doctor! In the (nearly) two years since I am using CPAP, I sleep through everynight, never wake up coughing, and have none of the pathological tiredness that I had for years before CPAP. The lack of sleep had also caused me to be depressed. A year before I went to the pulmonary specialist, I had gone to a psychiatrist for depression and anxiety; the psychiatrist prescribed an anti-depressant which took care of the depression and anxiety but did nothing to help the tiredness (duh, but I didn’t know about sleep apnea yet). Since CPAP, I have weaned off the antidepressant and have had no problems with depression and anxiety. My family doctor is starting to take sleep apnea seriously now. It is very important that we as patients educate the doctors who do not have sleep apnea in their diagnostic radar screen. Judy – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Susan Wachob wrote: > Me too- For five years my psychiatrist added one anti-depressant after > another and more combinations than I can think of. Only when he couldn;t > find anything that affected my constant exhaustion and foggy head did he > finally suggest maybe it was OSA and referred me for a sleep study. > The kicker is he used to be the director of Stanford’s sleep lab! > Susan > christineu wrote: >> I would agree with Beth. I have Central Sleep apnea and mine went >> undiagnosed and of course untreated for years before I was sent to a >> sleep doctor this past fall. I think that there are a lot more people >> who have sleep apnea and don’t realize it- especially women. I can’t >> even remember how many times I complained of being tired over the year >> to different doctors and their treatment of choice after checking >> thyroid was to prescribe an antidepressant just because I was >> complaining of fatigue and I’m female. >> There is a push now to educate more doctors about sleep disorders with >> apnea probably being the most comon one. ANd with more people getting >> diagnosed other people realize they might have a problem so they talk >> to their doctors about it and end up getting diagnoised. I just wish >> more doctors would bother to ask about patients sleep habits- I was >> given sleep meds by several different doctors in the past couple of >> years when what I really needed was to see a sleep speacialist. >> I do think the medical community needs to do more to educate people >> with sleep apnea about treatment and possible medical problems they >> may have if they don’t comply with treatment. Look how much is done >> when someone is diagnosed with diabetes to educate the patient and >> their family- patients with apnea need a similar program to increase >> compliance with CPAP/BiPAP therapy.
Response:
"Ross Bernheim" <ross…@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:1g8wvcr.3pgs9ptm7ceqN%rossber@mindspring.com… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> David Ruether <r…@no-junk.cornell.edu> wrote: > > Good comments. A story: when I was a kid, it was annoying > > that my father never seemed to have any of the common ailments, > > so did not always appear to understand their effect on us – and he > > had more energy than any of us (sometimes hard to live with…;-). I do > > remember as a kid laughing with a friend who was staying overnight > > at my father’s very loud snoring, and at its abrupt stops/starts. In old > > age, I did come to appreciate his good humor and lack of complaints > > as he suffered stomach and colon cancer (and two-way incontinence), > > four heart attacks, and a four-way bypass. What got him in the end, > > though, was likely the heart failure (not the simple thing it sounds like > > if you are not familiar with it…) from the effects of sleep-apnea. In the > > process of dealing with a recent "heart event" (likely caused by SA) > > and odd neurological problems of my own, the SA that I knew > > existed (but which I had not taken seriously) was confirmed during > > a sleep-clinic stay. After "putting some things together", I now take > > OSA seriously, and have slept a total of only about 4-5 hours in > > the last six weeks without using the CPAP machine. I never felt tired > > as a result of OSA, but an enlarged heart, heart arrhythmia, thoughts > > of what would be down the line if I didn’t take care of the OSA, > > plus the possible effects of lack of REM and late-stage sleep keeps > > me on "the machine" when sleeping. I still have the neurological > > problems, alas, but searching for their cause has at least brought > > me a treatment for OSA… > The paralells can be rather frightening. Father snored but had few > ailments other than hay fever. In older age, he has had numerous > strokes, a few severe. I suspect that a stroke will do him in > eventually. > I had some of the other symptoms besides just snoring. The hypertension > and family history of strokes were a big concern, but conventional > medicine was unable to keep the blood pressure under control. When some > of the other symptoms got bad enough, I did some on-line research and > found out about sleep apnea and took one of the on-line quizes. It was > scary to recognize how much of the test questions were applicable. > I made a note to ask the primary physician, so I would not forget. He > passed me on to the HMO’s sleep specialist. Ended up being tested and > had apnea. Titrated and on CPAP for just over two years now. Haven’t > missed a night on CPAP. Some have been better than others. > Bottom line. Hypertension was gone in a few months. Interoccular > pressure at the next eye exam after a year on CPAP showed a decrease of > about 25 percent. My astigmatism has improved as well. Short term memory > which was going bad is much better. I am going from bald to thinning on > top. There are a number of other improvements as well. > Don’t give up on improvements in the neurological area. It may take some > time. The problems did not happen overnight, but took time, and any > improvements may take some time also. > Sleep well. > Ross Bernheim
Thanks for the comments. When my local neurologist suggested that the multitude of weird neurological problems that cropped up fairly abruptly in severe forms (though most had existed before, but in much more manageable and predictable forms) may be sleep-related, I had a hard time believing it. I researched it the best I could at the time on the ‘net, and asked here if anyone else had seen any symptoms similar to mine that were sleep-related, but I came up empty at first. With more experience with this, and with finding more on the ‘net in the "nether regions" of research, I’m now beginning to believe he was right – there can be some VERY weird effects related to sleep-disorders! (Mebbe the "village idiots o’ yore" were just sleep-deprived – but I now have a FAR greater appreciation for their plight…!;-) Episodic jerks/jitters, unexpected loss of muscle strength, loss of muscle-control, "freezing", and loss of speech control (various forms, all unpleasant and disturbing), all often many times a day, has put more than a little "crimp" in normal activities for almost four months now. A possible drug solution did seem to help with some of the types of problems, but I could not tolerate it (depression and "stupid" and confused feelings appeared at low dossage) – and I was "climbing the walls" for many days while getting off it. If use of CPAP gear is the answer, I hope it does not take years to improve things noticeably (the coming year’s income is already likely gone due to when I need to book work for it – which is now, and kinda hard to do in my present condition…). Ah, well… Thanks, again, for your comments. — David Ruether r…@cornell.edu http://www.ferrario.com/ruether
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -David Ruether <r…@no-junk.cornell.edu> wrote: > Good comments. A story: when I was a kid, it was annoying > that my father never seemed to have any of the common ailments, > so did not always appear to understand their effect on us – and he > had more energy than any of us (sometimes hard to live with…;-). I do > remember as a kid laughing with a friend who was staying overnight > at my father’s very loud snoring, and at its abrupt stops/starts. In old > age, I did come to appreciate his good humor and lack of complaints > as he suffered stomach and colon cancer (and two-way incontinence), > four heart attacks, and a four-way bypass. What got him in the end, > though, was likely the heart failure (not the simple thing it sounds like > if you are not familiar with it…) from the effects of sleep-apnea. In the > process of dealing with a recent "heart event" (likely caused by SA) > and odd neurological problems of my own, the SA that I knew > existed (but which I had not taken seriously) was confirmed during > a sleep-clinic stay. After "putting some things together", I now take > OSA seriously, and have slept a total of only about 4-5 hours in > the last six weeks without using the CPAP machine. I never felt tired > as a result of OSA, but an enlarged heart, heart arrhythmia, thoughts > of what would be down the line if I didn’t take care of the OSA, > plus the possible effects of lack of REM and late-stage sleep keeps > me on "the machine" when sleeping. I still have the neurological > problems, alas, but searching for their cause has at least brought > me a treatment for OSA…
The paralells can be rather frightening. Father snored but had few ailments other than hay fever. In older age, he has had numerous strokes, a few severe. I suspect that a stroke will do him in eventually. I had some of the other symptoms besides just snoring. The hypertension and family history of strokes were a big concern, but conventional medicine was unable to keep the blood pressure under control. When some of the other symptoms got bad enough, I did some on-line research and found out about sleep apnea and took one of the on-line quizes. It was scary to recognize how much of the test questions were applicable. I made a note to ask the primary physician, so I would not forget. He passed me on to the HMO’s sleep specialist. Ended up being tested and had apnea. Titrated and on CPAP for just over two years now. Haven’t missed a night on CPAP. Some have been better than others. Bottom line. Hypertension was gone in a few months. Interoccular pressure at the next eye exam after a year on CPAP showed a decrease of about 25 percent. My astigmatism has improved as well. Short term memory which was going bad is much better. I am going from bald to thinning on top. There are a number of other improvements as well. Don’t give up on improvements in the neurological area. It may take some time. The problems did not happen overnight, but took time, and any improvements may take some time also. Sleep well. Ross Bernheim
Response:
I would agree with Beth. I have Central Sleep apnea and mine went undiagnosed and of course untreated for years before I was sent to a sleep doctor this past fall. I think that there are a lot more people who have sleep apnea and don’t realize it- especially women. I can’t even remember how many times I complained of being tired over the year to different doctors and their treatment of choice after checking thyroid was to prescribe an antidepressant just because I was complaining of fatigue and I’m female. There is a push now to educate more doctors about sleep disorders with apnea probably being the most comon one. ANd with more people getting diagnosed other people realize they might have a problem so they talk to their doctors about it and end up getting diagnoised. I just wish more doctors would bother to ask about patients sleep habits- I was given sleep meds by several different doctors in the past couple of years when what I really needed was to see a sleep speacialist. I do think the medical community needs to do more to educate people with sleep apnea about treatment and possible medical problems they may have if they don’t comply with treatment. Look how much is done when someone is diagnosed with diabetes to educate the patient and their family- patients with apnea need a similar program to increase compliance with CPAP/BiPAP therapy.
Response:
The real Norm wrote: > Similarly, I like to buy cars that others don’t have, but every time I do, I > discover that everyone has bought one also. <LOL> That is, I never notice them > until I buy one.
And I though that only happened to me
Response:
Great info Tal and all! saw an article today in a magazine at the office. ‘10 illnesses doctors miss’ or some such… (was printed in bold letters on the cover of the magazine, so i took a quick look). sleep apnea was one of the 10 listed. anyways, WRT being ‘being over diagnosed’, i also think it is under diagnosed. tho the only way one will know is to do the sleep study, IMHO. hope all is well. take care y’all =) "Tal" <goer…@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:c07lbq$13hjhb$1@ID-148111.news.uni-berlin.de… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> > I went to a family function this weekend and started talking to many > > related and non related family members about my recent diagnosis of > > sleep apnea. I was stunned by how many had also been diagnosed with > > sleep apnea. Most are not blood related to me so no heredity could be > > coming into play here. The amount at this get together would be way > > over the estimated aveage of people who have sleep apnea. Could the > > numbers be really that high and does everyone have some degree of > > apnea sometime in their life or is it the new fad diagnosis. It seemed > > like, if your are middle age or older and have few extra pounds, they > > are checking for and finding sleep apnea. Most of the family members I > > talked to don’t use their cpap because they find it uncomfortable and > > hard to get used to. The fact that so many had been diagnosed and > > prescribed cpap therapy has me very curious. > I don’t think it’s being over diagnosed, i believe it’s still being UNDER > diagnosed…… i think lifestyle MAY play some part in the higher number of > people being diagnosed in a few ways – 1. bad diet and lack of excercise > means more of us are carrying more weight than is healthy. 2. people are > less willing to put up with feeling like crud than they used to. Then > here’s also the fact that more doctors are becoming aware of what sleep > apnea is etc….. this is still a relatively newly discovered disorder in > the big scheme of things. > Apnea has always been a problem……it was just more hidden in years past. > Increased ability to detect the cause of this problem has increased the > numbers diagnosed – where before, people who were feeling constantly tired > were just told to get over it, now more people are trying to find out WHY > and then how to fix it. > I wouldn’t be suprised if in the years to come – as more people are > diagnosed and then treated (of course, the treated is the hard part, as you > noted, many people don’t realise the risks and don’t bother with treatment > because it takes a little more effort than they’d like) I believe we’ll find > that there may be a reduction in the amount of heart problems etc observed > in such individuals. > There are very strict guidelines for diagnosing apnea…..it’s not a really > fuzzy line like that you see with some other highly diagnosed conditions > these days. I guess my point is, if you’re diagnosed wtih apnea through a > sleep study, there’s no doubting you actually have it and can benefit from > treatment. > of course, this is just my rambling thoughts on the matter > — > Beth in Australia > (I am not a medical professional and anything stated in my posts is my > opinion only unless specified otherwise) > =================== > FAQ for alt.support.sleep-disorder can be found here > http://talhost.net/sleep > Newsgroup Archives http://talhost.net/sleep/archives.htm > this site is a work in progress – feel free to submit info/articles
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -paula wrote: > First I would say that you must be living in an area where doctors maybe more > familiar with sleep disorders then elsewhere. I find that enormously refreshing. > To me there is no doubt that with the increasing weight problems people have > that more and more people will be dx with sleep apnea. Although we can never be > certain ( my 45 lb weight loss didn’t even touch my pressure needed) those will > probably the same people who might lose the apnea once losing weight. And, they > make it so much the harder for those who have non weight related apnea because > it will become know that it is "just a weight issue". OK off that soap box. > Next, are those people nuts?? Have we as a society become so used to modern > medicine with its quick fixes that they feel by trying a bit it should be easy > whatever the treatment? having a mask on your face is something very strange and > might take many months of trials and nifty tricks to get used to. it certainly > is not like taking an aspirin for most people. > In regard also to future problem. Let me tell you that since knowing about > apnea, I now know that my grandma ( dad’s mother) did not really die of a stroke > but the result of apnea. Nor did my dad die of a stroke, he had apnea also. Both > there lives was like mine; losing energy and life interest slowly but surely. I > am now being treated; maybe I still die at age 58 but slowly I am getting a life > again; something they didn’t. sure if the people are younger they don’t see what > will happen later on. One of the things that happens when one educates oneself > on their health is knowledge, and knowledge comes with responsibility. Imagine > how you would feel once around 50 and getting a stroke. By then it is to late. > Welcome to the worlds of "nobody said it was easy but where there is a will > there is a way; perseverance is not always a bad thing. > something else I wanted to say in regard to "so many dx " Guess you never has a > child? or truly involved with the pregnancy? Ask any woman what happens when she > is pregnant. It SEEMS that the whole world is pregnant. You all of a sudden are > very aware of all the others while they have been around all the time; you just > didn’t notice. Wouldn’t that happen with apnea also? You think it is rare > because you never hear about it but start taking and you find the ones having > it.
Very well stated, especially the part about being pregnant. Similarly, I like to buy cars that others don’t have, but every time I do, I discover that everyone has bought one also. <LOL> That is, I never notice them until I buy one.
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -elliot gainway wrote: > "The real Norm" <"The real Norm"@socal.rr.com> wrote in message <news:40283158.4060601@socal.rr.com>… >>elliot gainway wrote: >>>First let me say that I am a person who can’t use cpap. I have given >>>it a 4 month try and despite several differant masks I get less sleep >>>with it than without it. That being said, with all the people I am >>>finding that are being diagnosed with it, it is starting to look like >>>more have it than don’t. Maybe they should start issuing cpaps to >>>everyone over 40. In my case, the sleep study was done only on my >>>back. In real life I sleep very little on my back. I sleep mostly on >>>my side. So was the sleep study accurate? >>OSA is generallly worse on one’s back. If you were manually titrated on your >>back, the pressure should be adequate to cover the lesser apneas on one’s side. >> So this is not, necesarily, your problem. But the question is….. exactly >>what is your problem? >>Did you have a PSG in a sleep lab? >>Did a diplomated sleep doc write a PSG summary report. >>Was anything other than OSA diagnosed, such as central apnea? >>Do you have a copy of the report? >>Were you manually titrated in a sleep lab? >>Do you know what pressure you were titrated to? >>Do you know if the pressure was set to the titrated pressure? >>Describe your system and how it is set up: >> Manufacturer and name of blower and mask >> Where are the blower and humidifier located? >> How do you manage your hose/tube? Is it suspended? >>Are you aware of any mask leaks? >>Have you checked your hose for leaks? >>Have you had the blower pressure checked? >>That oughta do it for now. > Yes to all your questions. I just can’t sleep with cpap. I can’t stand > the mask on my face or anything up my nose or the noise.
There have been others who have posted here who admit to phobias about not being able to tolerate anything on the face, even before CPAP. Is is just the CPAP for you. > The reason > for my initial post was to question whether cpap manufacturers and > sleep labs are pushing this sleep apnea as an ailment to fuel a new > money making area of health care.
That would have to be a helluva large conspiracy. Can’t imagine how you could come up with that kind of conspiracy theory, unless you are paranoid <grin>. Attitude has a lot to do with compliance. And anyone, who has been properly diagnosed with OSA and properly titrated, can check it themselves at home with a recording finger oximeter. Sleep with it and without CPAP for a couple nights and see what happens to your blood oxygen saturation levels. If they stick around 98, you don’t have apnea. If they don’t, you probably do. Then do it some more while using your CPAP and see what happens. > I know sleep apnea is a real aliment > and people really have it but after seeing how many people are being > diagnosed with it, you have to wonder if it is being pushed a little.
I doubt it. > Also the amount of people that are put on cpap that don’t use it makes > you wonder if they needed it in the first place.
Hey… if you feel great the morning after, without CPAP, you probably don’t need it. Why did you and all your relatives go to the sleep lab in the first place? – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->>>I don’t know. >>>The real Norm" <"The real Norm"@socal.rr.com> wrote in message <news:4027DC1A.70802@socal.rr.com>… >>>>elliot gainway wrote: >>>>>I went to a family function this weekend and started talking to many >>>>>related and non related family members about my recent diagnosis of >>>>>sleep apnea. I was stunned by how many had also been diagnosed with >>>>>sleep apnea. Most are not blood related to me so no heredity could be >>>>>coming into play here. The amount at this get together would be way >>>>>over the estimated aveage of people who have sleep apnea. Could the >>>>>numbers be really that high and does everyone have some degree of >>>>>apnea sometime in their life or is it the new fad diagnosis. It seemed >>>>>like, if your are middle age or older and have few extra pounds, they >>>>>are checking for and finding sleep apnea. Most of the family members I >>>>>talked to don’t use their cpap because they find it uncomfortable and >>>>>hard to get used to. The fact that so many had been diagnosed and >>>>>prescribed cpap therapy has me very curious. >>>>Well…. one of the very first questions I asked here, 3-4 years ago was, "Has >>>>anyone ever had a PSG and not been diagnosed with apnea?" Never received a >>>>response. (I was hoping someone here knew of someone.) >>>>I couldn’t believe that I had it, even after having a laboratory PSG evaluated >>>>by a neurologist diplomated sleep doc. But, as I took the time to learn, I >>>>began to realize that I DID. >>>>I have six acquaintances (5 men, 1 woman) all, but one, of which were diagnosed >>>>with sleep apnea, long before I was. Not a one of them knows diddly sh*t about >>>>sleep apnea. And they don’t seem to be able to muster the strength (physical >>>>and mental) to learn. They think their computers are for sending jokes only. >>>>Not a one has ever read any posts here. >>>>One is a retired orthopedist. He doesn’t know a cpap from a bipap. He just >>>>knows he feels better and is compliant. >>>>The woman is married to one of the men. When I was diagnosed, they were >>>>non-compliant. So, as I learned, I told them what I had learned about enlarged >>>>hearts and strokes. They ignored everything I said. >>>>Then he had a stroke. She was quick to tell me it wasn’t from OSA, but they are >>>>both very compliant now. >>>>I spent 2-3 hours with another of the men, who was having all kinds of newbie >>>>problems. He is in his mid-7o’s. He just couldn’t seem to understand. He >>>>decided he no longer had OSA and totally stopped using cpap. >>>>So, that’s a personal slant on your question. But there is also a testing and >>>>diagnosis slant. Were the people, at this get-together, properly tested and >>>>diagnosed and, then, supported? Did they all have lab polysomnograms for >>>>diagnostic purposes? Did they get a second PSG while being manually titrated? >>>>Were they all tested at home? >>>>Be sure and read every word of Beth’s and David’s responses.
Response:
First I would say that you must be living in an area where doctors maybe more familiar with sleep disorders then elsewhere. I find that enormously refreshing. To me there is no doubt that with the increasing weight problems people have that more and more people will be dx with sleep apnea. Although we can never be certain ( my 45 lb weight loss didn’t even touch my pressure needed) those will probably the same people who might lose the apnea once losing weight. And, they make it so much the harder for those who have non weight related apnea because it will become know that it is "just a weight issue". OK off that soap box. Next, are those people nuts?? Have we as a society become so used to modern medicine with its quick fixes that they feel by trying a bit it should be easy whatever the treatment? having a mask on your face is something very strange and might take many months of trials and nifty tricks to get used to. it certainly is not like taking an aspirin for most people. In regard also to future problem. Let me tell you that since knowing about apnea, I now know that my grandma ( dad’s mother) did not really die of a stroke but the result of apnea. Nor did my dad die of a stroke, he had apnea also. Both there lives was like mine; losing energy and life interest slowly but surely. I am now being treated; maybe I still die at age 58 but slowly I am getting a life again; something they didn’t. sure if the people are younger they don’t see what will happen later on. One of the things that happens when one educates oneself on their health is knowledge, and knowledge comes with responsibility. Imagine how you would feel once around 50 and getting a stroke. By then it is to late. Welcome to the worlds of "nobody said it was easy but where there is a will there is a way; perseverance is not always a bad thing. something else I wanted to say in regard to "so many dx " Guess you never has a child? or truly involved with the pregnancy? Ask any woman what happens when she is pregnant. It SEEMS that the whole world is pregnant. You all of a sudden are very aware of all the others while they have been around all the time; you just didn’t notice. Wouldn’t that happen with apnea also? You think it is rare because you never hear about it but start taking and you find the ones having it.
Response:
"The real Norm" <"The real Norm"@socal.rr.com> wrote in message <news:40283158.4060601@socal.rr.com>… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> elliot gainway wrote: > > First let me say that I am a person who can’t use cpap. I have given > > it a 4 month try and despite several differant masks I get less sleep > > with it than without it. That being said, with all the people I am > > finding that are being diagnosed with it, it is starting to look like > > more have it than don’t. Maybe they should start issuing cpaps to > > everyone over 40. In my case, the sleep study was done only on my > > back. In real life I sleep very little on my back. I sleep mostly on > > my side. So was the sleep study accurate? > OSA is generallly worse on one’s back. If you were manually titrated on your > back, the pressure should be adequate to cover the lesser apneas on one’s side. > So this is not, necesarily, your problem. But the question is….. exactly > what is your problem? > Did you have a PSG in a sleep lab? > Did a diplomated sleep doc write a PSG summary report. > Was anything other than OSA diagnosed, such as central apnea? > Do you have a copy of the report? > Were you manually titrated in a sleep lab? > Do you know what pressure you were titrated to? > Do you know if the pressure was set to the titrated pressure? > Describe your system and how it is set up: > Manufacturer and name of blower and mask > Where are the blower and humidifier located? > How do you manage your hose/tube? Is it suspended? > Are you aware of any mask leaks? > Have you checked your hose for leaks? > Have you had the blower pressure checked? > That oughta do it for now.
Yes to all your questions. I just can’t sleep with cpap. I can’t stand the mask on my face or anything up my nose or the noise. The reason for my initial post was to question whether cpap manufacturers and sleep labs are pushing this sleep apnea as an ailment to fuel a new money making area of health care. I know sleep apnea is a real aliment and people really have it but after seeing how many people are being diagnosed with it, you have to wonder if it is being pushed a little. Also the amount of people that are put on cpap that don’t use it makes you wonder if they needed it in the first place. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> > I don’t know. > > The real Norm" <"The real Norm"@socal.rr.com> wrote in message <news:4027DC1A.70802@socal.rr.com>… > >>elliot gainway wrote: > >>>I went to a family function this weekend and started talking to many > >>>related and non related family members about my recent diagnosis of > >>>sleep apnea. I was stunned by how many had also been diagnosed with > >>>sleep apnea. Most are not blood related to me so no heredity could be > >>>coming into play here. The amount at this get together would be way > >>>over the estimated aveage of people who have sleep apnea. Could the > >>>numbers be really that high and does everyone have some degree of > >>>apnea sometime in their life or is it the new fad diagnosis. It seemed > >>>like, if your are middle age or older and have few extra pounds, they > >>>are checking for and finding sleep apnea. Most of the family members I > >>>talked to don’t use their cpap because they find it uncomfortable and > >>>hard to get used to. The fact that so many had been diagnosed and > >>>prescribed cpap therapy has me very curious. > >>Well…. one of the very first questions I asked here, 3-4 years ago was, "Has > >>anyone ever had a PSG and not been diagnosed with apnea?" Never received a > >>response. (I was hoping someone here knew of someone.) > >>I couldn’t believe that I had it, even after having a laboratory PSG evaluated > >>by a neurologist diplomated sleep doc. But, as I took the time to learn, I > >>began to realize that I DID. > >>I have six acquaintances (5 men, 1 woman) all, but one, of which were diagnosed > >>with sleep apnea, long before I was. Not a one of them knows diddly sh*t about > >>sleep apnea. And they don’t seem to be able to muster the strength (physical > >>and mental) to learn. They think their computers are for sending jokes only. > >>Not a one has ever read any posts here. > >>One is a retired orthopedist. He doesn’t know a cpap from a bipap. He just > >>knows he feels better and is compliant. > >>The woman is married to one of the men. When I was diagnosed, they were > >>non-compliant. So, as I learned, I told them what I had learned about enlarged > >>hearts and strokes. They ignored everything I said. > >>Then he had a stroke. She was quick to tell me it wasn’t from OSA, but they are > >>both very compliant now. > >>I spent 2-3 hours with another of the men, who was having all kinds of newbie > >>problems. He is in his mid-7o’s. He just couldn’t seem to understand. He > >>decided he no longer had OSA and totally stopped using cpap. > >>So, that’s a personal slant on your question. But there is also a testing and > >>diagnosis slant. Were the people, at this get-together, properly tested and > >>diagnosed and, then, supported? Did they all have lab polysomnograms for > >>diagnostic purposes? Did they get a second PSG while being manually titrated? > >>Were they all tested at home? > >>Be sure and read every word of Beth’s and David’s responses.
Response:
"Tal" <goer…@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:c07lbq$13hjhb$1@ID-148111.news.uni-berlin.de… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> > I went to a family function this weekend and started talking to many > > related and non related family members about my recent diagnosis of > > sleep apnea. I was stunned by how many had also been diagnosed with > > sleep apnea. Most are not blood related to me so no heredity could be > > coming into play here. The amount at this get together would be way > > over the estimated aveage of people who have sleep apnea. Could the > > numbers be really that high and does everyone have some degree of > > apnea sometime in their life or is it the new fad diagnosis. It seemed > > like, if your are middle age or older and have few extra pounds, they > > are checking for and finding sleep apnea. Most of the family members I > > talked to don’t use their cpap because they find it uncomfortable and > > hard to get used to. The fact that so many had been diagnosed and > > prescribed cpap therapy has me very curious. > I don’t think it’s being over diagnosed, i believe it’s still being UNDER > diagnosed…… i think lifestyle MAY play some part in the higher number of > people being diagnosed in a few ways – 1. bad diet and lack of excercise > means more of us are carrying more weight than is healthy. 2. people are > less willing to put up with feeling like crud than they used to. Then > here’s also the fact that more doctors are becoming aware of what sleep > apnea is etc….. this is still a relatively newly discovered disorder in > the big scheme of things. > Apnea has always been a problem……it was just more hidden in years past. > Increased ability to detect the cause of this problem has increased the > numbers diagnosed – where before, people who were feeling constantly tired > were just told to get over it, now more people are trying to find out WHY > and then how to fix it. > I wouldn’t be suprised if in the years to come – as more people are > diagnosed and then treated (of course, the treated is the hard part, as you > noted, many people don’t realise the risks and don’t bother with treatment > because it takes a little more effort than they’d like) I believe we’ll find > that there may be a reduction in the amount of heart problems etc observed > in such individuals. > There are very strict guidelines for diagnosing apnea…..it’s not a really > fuzzy line like that you see with some other highly diagnosed conditions > these days. I guess my point is, if you’re diagnosed wtih apnea through a > sleep study, there’s no doubting you actually have it and can benefit from > treatment. > of course, this is just my rambling thoughts on the matter > — > Beth in Australia [...] > http://talhost.net/sleep
Good comments. A story: when I was a kid, it was annoying that my father never seemed to have any of the common ailments, so did not always appear to understand their effect on us – and he had more energy than any of us (sometimes hard to live with…;-). I do remember as a kid laughing with a friend who was staying overnight at my father’s very loud snoring, and at its abrupt stops/starts. In old age, I did come to appreciate his good humor and lack of complaints as he suffered stomach and colon cancer (and two-way incontinence), four heart attacks, and a four-way bypass. What got him in the end, though, was likely the heart failure (not the simple thing it sounds like if you are not familiar with it…) from the effects of sleep-apnea. In the process of dealing with a recent "heart event" (likely caused by SA) and odd neurological problems of my own, the SA that I knew existed (but which I had not taken seriously) was confirmed during a sleep-clinic stay. After "putting some things together", I now take OSA seriously, and have slept a total of only about 4-5 hours in the last six weeks without using the CPAP machine. I never felt tired as a result of OSA, but an enlarged heart, heart arrhythmia, thoughts of what would be down the line if I didn’t take care of the OSA, plus the possible effects of lack of REM and late-stage sleep keeps me on "the machine" when sleeping. I still have the neurological problems, alas, but searching for their cause has at least brought me a treatment for OSA… — David Ruether r…@cornell.edu http://www.ferrario.com/ruether
Response:
On Mon, 09 Feb 2004 19:13:20 GMT, The real Norm wrote: >Well…. one of the very first questions I asked here, 3-4 years ago was, "Has >anyone ever had a PSG and not been diagnosed with apnea?" Never received a >response. (I was hoping someone here knew of someone.)
I had a co-worker who had a PSG which showed very mild OSA… not severe enough for CPAP. I do suspect that the prescreening questions tend to filter out a lot of people.
Response:
On Tue, 10 Feb 2004 10:13:22 +1100, Terry Collins wrote: >Their is a "paper" floating around geneaological circles that says >everyone in England is probably related to Princess Diana.
Given what I’ve run into, I suspect everyone who has ancestors in England is related to Eleanor of Castile.
Response:
Me too- For five years my psychiatrist added one anti-depressant after another and more combinations than I can think of. Only when he couldn;t find anything that affected my constant exhaustion and foggy head did he finally suggest maybe it was OSA and referred me for a sleep study. The kicker is he used to be the director of Stanford’s sleep lab! Susan – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -christineu wrote: > I would agree with Beth. I have Central Sleep apnea and mine went undiagnosed and of course untreated for years before I was sent to a sleep doctor this past fall. I think that there are a lot more people who have sleep apnea and don’t realize it- especially women. I can’t even remember how many times I complained of being tired over the year to different doctors and their treatment of choice after checking thyroid was to prescribe an antidepressant just because I was complaining of fatigue and I’m female. > There is a push now to educate more doctors about sleep disorders with apnea probably being the most comon one. ANd with more people getting diagnosed other people realize they might have a problem so they talk to their doctors about it and end up getting diagnoised. I just wish more doctors would bother to ask about patients sleep habits- I was given sleep meds by several different doctors in the past couple of years when what I really needed was to see a sleep speacialist. > I do think the medical community needs to do more to educate people with sleep apnea about treatment and possible medical problems they may have if they don’t comply with treatment. Look how much is done when someone is diagnosed with diabetes to educate the patient and their family- patients with apnea need a similar program to increase compliance with CPAP/BiPAP therapy.
Response:
elliot gainway wrote: > First let me say that I am a person who can’t use cpap. I have given > it a 4 month try and despite several differant masks I get less sleep > with it than without it. That being said, with all the people I am > finding that are being diagnosed with it, it is starting to look like > more have it than don’t. Maybe they should start issuing cpaps to > everyone over 40. In my case, the sleep study was done only on my > back. In real life I sleep very little on my back. I sleep mostly on > my side. So was the sleep study accurate?
OSA is generallly worse on one’s back. If you were manually titrated on your back, the pressure should be adequate to cover the lesser apneas on one’s side. So this is not, necesarily, your problem. But the question is….. exactly what is your problem? Did you have a PSG in a sleep lab? Did a diplomated sleep doc write a PSG summary report. Was anything other than OSA diagnosed, such as central apnea? Do you have a copy of the report? Were you manually titrated in a sleep lab? Do you know what pressure you were titrated to? Do you know if the pressure was set to the titrated pressure? Describe your system and how it is set up: Manufacturer and name of blower and mask Where are the blower and humidifier located? How do you manage your hose/tube? Is it suspended? Are you aware of any mask leaks? Have you checked your hose for leaks? Have you had the blower pressure checked? That oughta do it for now. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I don’t know. > The real Norm" <"The real Norm"@socal.rr.com> wrote in message <news:4027DC1A.70802@socal.rr.com>… >>elliot gainway wrote: >>>I went to a family function this weekend and started talking to many >>>related and non related family members about my recent diagnosis of >>>sleep apnea. I was stunned by how many had also been diagnosed with >>>sleep apnea. Most are not blood related to me so no heredity could be >>>coming into play here. The amount at this get together would be way >>>over the estimated aveage of people who have sleep apnea. Could the >>>numbers be really that high and does everyone have some degree of >>>apnea sometime in their life or is it the new fad diagnosis. It seemed >>>like, if your are middle age or older and have few extra pounds, they >>>are checking for and finding sleep apnea. Most of the family members I >>>talked to don’t use their cpap because they find it uncomfortable and >>>hard to get used to. The fact that so many had been diagnosed and >>>prescribed cpap therapy has me very curious. >>Well…. one of the very first questions I asked here, 3-4 years ago was, "Has >>anyone ever had a PSG and not been diagnosed with apnea?" Never received a >>response. (I was hoping someone here knew of someone.) >>I couldn’t believe that I had it, even after having a laboratory PSG evaluated >>by a neurologist diplomated sleep doc. But, as I took the time to learn, I >>began to realize that I DID. >>I have six acquaintances (5 men, 1 woman) all, but one, of which were diagnosed >>with sleep apnea, long before I was. Not a one of them knows diddly sh*t about >>sleep apnea. And they don’t seem to be able to muster the strength (physical >>and mental) to learn. They think their computers are for sending jokes only. >>Not a one has ever read any posts here. >>One is a retired orthopedist. He doesn’t know a cpap from a bipap. He just >>knows he feels better and is compliant. >>The woman is married to one of the men. When I was diagnosed, they were >>non-compliant. So, as I learned, I told them what I had learned about enlarged >>hearts and strokes. They ignored everything I said. >>Then he had a stroke. She was quick to tell me it wasn’t from OSA, but they are >>both very compliant now. >>I spent 2-3 hours with another of the men, who was having all kinds of newbie >>problems. He is in his mid-7o’s. He just couldn’t seem to understand. He >>decided he no longer had OSA and totally stopped using cpap. >>So, that’s a personal slant on your question. But there is also a testing and >>diagnosis slant. Were the people, at this get-together, properly tested and >>diagnosed and, then, supported? Did they all have lab polysomnograms for >>diagnostic purposes? Did they get a second PSG while being manually titrated? >>Were they all tested at home? >>Be sure and read every word of Beth’s and David’s responses.
Response:
First let me say that I am a person who can’t use cpap. I have given it a 4 month try and despite several differant masks I get less sleep with it than without it. That being said, with all the people I am finding that are being diagnosed with it, it is starting to look like more have it than don’t. Maybe they should start issuing cpaps to everyone over 40. In my case, the sleep study was done only on my back. In real life I sleep very little on my back. I sleep mostly on my side. So was the sleep study accurate? I don’t know. The real Norm" <"The real Norm"@socal.rr.com> wrote in message <news:4027DC1A.70802@socal.rr.com>… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> elliot gainway wrote: > > I went to a family function this weekend and started talking to many > > related and non related family members about my recent diagnosis of > > sleep apnea. I was stunned by how many had also been diagnosed with > > sleep apnea. Most are not blood related to me so no heredity could be > > coming into play here. The amount at this get together would be way > > over the estimated aveage of people who have sleep apnea. Could the > > numbers be really that high and does everyone have some degree of > > apnea sometime in their life or is it the new fad diagnosis. It seemed > > like, if your are middle age or older and have few extra pounds, they > > are checking for and finding sleep apnea. Most of the family members I > > talked to don’t use their cpap because they find it uncomfortable and > > hard to get used to. The fact that so many had been diagnosed and > > prescribed cpap therapy has me very curious. > Well…. one of the very first questions I asked here, 3-4 years ago was, "Has > anyone ever had a PSG and not been diagnosed with apnea?" Never received a > response. (I was hoping someone here knew of someone.) > I couldn’t believe that I had it, even after having a laboratory PSG evaluated > by a neurologist diplomated sleep doc. But, as I took the time to learn, I > began to realize that I DID. > I have six acquaintances (5 men, 1 woman) all, but one, of which were diagnosed > with sleep apnea, long before I was. Not a one of them knows diddly sh*t about > sleep apnea. And they don’t seem to be able to muster the strength (physical > and mental) to learn. They think their computers are for sending jokes only. > Not a one has ever read any posts here. > One is a retired orthopedist. He doesn’t know a cpap from a bipap. He just > knows he feels better and is compliant. > The woman is married to one of the men. When I was diagnosed, they were > non-compliant. So, as I learned, I told them what I had learned about enlarged > hearts and strokes. They ignored everything I said. > Then he had a stroke. She was quick to tell me it wasn’t from OSA, but they are > both very compliant now. > I spent 2-3 hours with another of the men, who was having all kinds of newbie > problems. He is in his mid-7o’s. He just couldn’t seem to understand. He > decided he no longer had OSA and totally stopped using cpap. > So, that’s a personal slant on your question. But there is also a testing and > diagnosis slant. Were the people, at this get-together, properly tested and > diagnosed and, then, supported? Did they all have lab polysomnograms for > diagnostic purposes? Did they get a second PSG while being manually titrated? > Were they all tested at home? > Be sure and read every word of Beth’s and David’s responses.
Response:
elliot gainway wrote: > I went to a family function this weekend and started talking to many > related and non related family members about my recent diagnosis of > sleep apnea. I was stunned by how many had also been diagnosed with > sleep apnea. Most are not blood related to me so no heredity could be > coming into play here. The amount at this get together would be way > over the estimated aveage of people who have sleep apnea. Could the > numbers be really that high and does everyone have some degree of > apnea sometime in their life or is it the new fad diagnosis. It seemed > like, if your are middle age or older and have few extra pounds, they > are checking for and finding sleep apnea. Most of the family members I > talked to don’t use their cpap because they find it uncomfortable and > hard to get used to. The fact that so many had been diagnosed and > prescribed cpap therapy has me very curious.
Well…. one of the very first questions I asked here, 3-4 years ago was, "Has anyone ever had a PSG and not been diagnosed with apnea?" Never received a response. (I was hoping someone here knew of someone.) I couldn’t believe that I had it, even after having a laboratory PSG evaluated by a neurologist diplomated sleep doc. But, as I took the time to learn, I began to realize that I DID. I have six acquaintances (5 men, 1 woman) all, but one, of which were diagnosed with sleep apnea, long before I was. Not a one of them knows diddly sh*t about sleep apnea. And they don’t seem to be able to muster the strength (physical and mental) to learn. They think their computers are for sending jokes only. Not a one has ever read any posts here. One is a retired orthopedist. He doesn’t know a cpap from a bipap. He just knows he feels better and is compliant. The woman is married to one of the men. When I was diagnosed, they were non-compliant. So, as I learned, I told them what I had learned about enlarged hearts and strokes. They ignored everything I said. Then he had a stroke. She was quick to tell me it wasn’t from OSA, but they are both very compliant now. I spent 2-3 hours with another of the men, who was having all kinds of newbie problems. He is in his mid-7o’s. He just couldn’t seem to understand. He decided he no longer had OSA and totally stopped using cpap. So, that’s a personal slant on your question. But there is also a testing and diagnosis slant. Were the people, at this get-together, properly tested and diagnosed and, then, supported? Did they all have lab polysomnograms for diagnostic purposes? Did they get a second PSG while being manually titrated? Were they all tested at home? Be sure and read every word of Beth’s and David’s responses.
Response:
elliot gainway wrote: > I went to a family function this weekend and started talking to many > related and non related family members about my recent diagnosis of > sleep apnea. I was stunned by how many had also been diagnosed with > sleep apnea. Most are not blood related to me so no heredity could be > coming into play here.
You might have to chase these families way back to be absolutely sure. Sleep aponea can have genetic factors, so it source could have been in a Middle Ages village somewhere and it could have arisen independently in different places. Their is a "paper" floating around geneaological circles that says everyone in England is probably related to Princess Diana. Probably shows up now because work is becoming more and more sedentary. Look at the very small percentage now employed in agriculture and the small and decreasing percentage now employed in manufacturing. So people can now spend almost 100% of their life without doing any strenuous work. In fact strenuous work is frowned upon and shunned.
Response:
I went to a family function this weekend and started talking to many related and non related family members about my recent diagnosis of sleep apnea. I was stunned by how many had also been diagnosed with sleep apnea. Most are not blood related to me so no heredity could be coming into play here. The amount at this get together would be way over the estimated aveage of people who have sleep apnea. Could the numbers be really that high and does everyone have some degree of apnea sometime in their life or is it the new fad diagnosis. It seemed like, if your are middle age or older and have few extra pounds, they are checking for and finding sleep apnea. Most of the family members I talked to don’t use their cpap because they find it uncomfortable and hard to get used to. The fact that so many had been diagnosed and prescribed cpap therapy has me very curious.
Response:
> I went to a family function this weekend and started talking to many > related and non related family members about my recent diagnosis of > sleep apnea. I was stunned by how many had also been diagnosed with > sleep apnea. Most are not blood related to me so no heredity could be > coming into play here. The amount at this get together would be way > over the estimated aveage of people who have sleep apnea. Could the > numbers be really that high and does everyone have some degree of > apnea sometime in their life or is it the new fad diagnosis. It seemed > like, if your are middle age or older and have few extra pounds, they > are checking for and finding sleep apnea. Most of the family members I > talked to don’t use their cpap because they find it uncomfortable and > hard to get used to. The fact that so many had been diagnosed and > prescribed cpap therapy has me very curious.
I don’t think it’s being over diagnosed, i believe it’s still being UNDER diagnosed…… i think lifestyle MAY play some part in the higher number of people being diagnosed in a few ways – 1. bad diet and lack of excercise means more of us are carrying more weight than is healthy. 2. people are less willing to put up with feeling like crud than they used to. Then here’s also the fact that more doctors are becoming aware of what sleep apnea is etc….. this is still a relatively newly discovered disorder in the big scheme of things. Apnea has always been a problem……it was just more hidden in years past. Increased ability to detect the cause of this problem has increased the numbers diagnosed – where before, people who were feeling constantly tired were just told to get over it, now more people are trying to find out WHY and then how to fix it. I wouldn’t be suprised if in the years to come – as more people are diagnosed and then treated (of course, the treated is the hard part, as you noted, many people don’t realise the risks and don’t bother with treatment because it takes a little more effort than they’d like) I believe we’ll find that there may be a reduction in the amount of heart problems etc observed in such individuals. There are very strict guidelines for diagnosing apnea…..it’s not a really fuzzy line like that you see with some other highly diagnosed conditions these days. I guess my point is, if you’re diagnosed wtih apnea through a sleep study, there’s no doubting you actually have it and can benefit from treatment. of course, this is just my rambling thoughts on the matter — Beth in Australia (I am not a medical professional and anything stated in my posts is my opinion only unless specified otherwise) =================== FAQ for alt.support.sleep-disorder can be found here http://talhost.net/sleep Newsgroup Archives http://talhost.net/sleep/archives.htm this site is a work in progress – feel free to submit info/articles
