So I was just diagnosed with mild sleep apnea. There is no treatment being recommended except for weight loss. I am sort of not sure what to think as even my doctor was talking about CPAP machines until he read the report where they recommended only weight loss. My question is if anyone else here has mild sleep apnea and if this sounds right? And also if there's anything I can do in the meantime to feel better? My sleep is horrible even though I don't drink caffeine and go to bed early and such. I can spend all night sleeping and then sleep all the next day (if I'm not at work) and STILL be tired which is not normal for someone in their early 30s. I never have energy for exercising or going out with friends after work. My doctor says we'll repeat the sleep study in a year or two, or sooner if I gain more weight (which I am actively trying to lose). I think I'll ask to repeat it sooner regardless, maybe in six months. I'm not totally convinced that weight alone is the cause. I am overweight but am not extremely so. I do not have any other weight-related issues like insulin resistance, high cholesterol, high BP, and so on, and do not have any other sleep apnea risk factors like smoking, but I do have lots of issues with sinus and throat inflammation from allergies. From what I've read just leaving it untreated for years is not good...
I have sleep apnea and use an APAP(auto CPAP). The CPAP is the golden standard in treating sleep apnea. There are many "treatments" for sleep apnea, but research will show there success rate is very low and/or long term success is very low. Please do your research on sleep apnea. A good place to start is cpaptalk.com. There, you will find information on the type of machine to get and what to look for in a DME supplier and who to stay away from. I would also suggest that you look for a new sleep doctor that supports your going on a CPAP. Properly treated sleep apnea can improve your health in many ways.
Steve
The doctor I saw today was just my GP. Not sure who interpreted the sleep study. I'll ask about it next time I see him. I definitely want to do some research and be prepared. Since I hadn't heard anything after the sleep study, I'd just assumed everything was normal, so I was caught a bit off-guard today. I'll check out the site you recommended. Thanks!
My husband consulted the dentist and now uses a bite guard to manage sleep apnea and it generally works well unless he is extremely over-tired. Maybe this will help you, too?
I could ask about it. I already have a guard that I got from the dentist for grinding my teeth at night. But I don't think that's the same thing.
I know several people whose lives have been changed for the better with a cpap machine (different varieties). As I understand it, you do not have to be overweight to have sleep apnea. I am not sure why the dr wants to wait and hope that weight loss works. Given the usual difficulty of weight loss. I am not saying you won't do well at that but it does take time. And in the meantime, you health is being negatively affected. Better for lungs and heart to get a machine. And for staying alert!!
from apneos.com: OSA is linked to body weight in many, but not all, cases of OSA [obstructive SA].The more a person is overweight, the more likely they are to develop OSA. A study from Wisconsin found that, relative to a stable weight, a 10% gain in body weight made a person 6 times more likely to develop moderate to severe sleep apnea.3
It should be emphasized, however, that normal weight does not provide immunity from OSA. Other factors, such as jaw anatomy, can predispose persons of normal weight to OSA.
Has a dental appliance been suggested? CPAP and APAP are just a couple of treatments. There are dental appliances that might be appropriate for mild sleep apnea. My dentist in NH lectures on this at Dartmouth Medical School. He has sleep apnea himself and has designed a device. I would research this first.
Yes, my doctor mentioned both dental appliances and CPAP when he was talking about treatment. He said CPAP is 100% successful while dental appliances only work in certain sitautiosn and are usually only used if someone won't wear a CPAP machine at night. I don't mind the idea of a CPAP. This was before I even had a sleep study. Then when he got the report and saw mild sleep apena he said we'd probably try a CPAP machine, but then dropped that once he read that whoever wrote the report didn't recommend any treatment.
I'm probably going to make another appoitnment in a month or two and just ask for a second opinion either from him or from another sleep study... I'm also trying to get a copy of the report myself so I can actually see what it says. Maybe it is really super mild, borderline apnea which doesn't warrant any treatment. My doctor did say we'd repeat the sleep study in a year to make sure it hasn't gotten worse. I'm just concerned with being diagnosed with this yet being offered no treatment even when I'm willing to try treatment (which, from what I've read, a lot of people aren't!). If treatment, even something like using CPAP temporarily until I lose weight and then re-testing, would help all that then I don't see the downside.