Why Apnea Is a Surgical Risk—and What to Do About It

Sleep Apnea

I have Sleep Apnea plus sinus condition. I have a C-Pap machine and have trieds 1/2 a dozen masks, which not only wake me up but also my wife. I believe that I get as much sleep without tha mask as I do with it. I like to know about surgery procedures. I was told that the soft palate is what closes the airways, also the back part of the tongue as it rolls back during sleep. I went to a Ear, Nose Dr. that said there was a way of cautherizing the inside of the back of the tongue, which will prevent the tongue from rolling back, and also a partial removal of the offending soft palate. Unfortunately, I had to move before I could find more about this procedure. I would appreciate any medical information concerning those procedures. Thank you.

Sincerely,........Desperate!

apnea tips froma CPAP user

Tips from a long-time sleep apnea patient:

1-even if you are only able to sleep with the CPAP mask on 2 hours a night, that is better than zero hours and it affects your long-term health;

2- if the first, second and third masks tou try don't work, keep trying until you find the one that you can sleep in, and even that one may take many nights of on & off before you start making it all night with the mask intact.;

3- every couple of months, get online and look for new products like masks, etc., to make it easier to comply. On Ebay you can find a company who makes headgear covers to keep the mask marks off your face and make the mask a little more comfortable;

4-try using refrigersted water in your humidifier if you feel like the air is too thick to breathe. Most people use heat with their humidifiers but for me, refrigerating the water made a HUGE difference, and so did using nasal gel to keep my nose from drying out and burning.

5-Make your own creative adjustments if they help. For example, I am now on a nasal mask with an attached chinstrap. The chinstrap hurt until I put a thin piece of cotton cloth over it. I got smalll sores under each nostril until I found out that putting a piece of medical gauze under my nose was comfortable and prevented irritation. The smallest things make the biggest difference!!!!

sleep apnea

in my opinion its very good and informative article as i m not aware of this disease and today i came to know about it.

sleep apnea

in my opinion its very good and informative article as i m not aware of this disease and today i came to know about it.

CPAP It's important to have the settings correct

I found myself removing my mask during the night for several nights. Then I just stopped wearing it at all. BIG MISTAKE! I found myself waking repeatedly through the night and eventually awakening about 4:00 AM when I may have only been in bed a few hours. But up at 4:00 no longer sleepy (then but later was another story) so I very gradually started becoming quite sleep deprived. Then I traced it back to when I started having trouble with my CPAP. Finally I called my local CPAP rep and asked them to send someone out to check the settings on my CPAP. I am waiting for them now. But I know from experience that if the settings are off, I will stop using the machine during the night and gradually get into more and more trouble. I will let you know the rest of the story after the rep comes and fixes my machine again!

Surgery

I took my Cpap machine w/ me for my hernia surger 2 months ago and I know it was not used (even though I was told to bring it). I even stamped the directions on the machine so there would be no problems. I could tell it had NOT been used on me after surgery and have to wonder if the doctor just chanced it OR if he found another way to provide me with oxygen. Since I need 15 lbs of pressure, I HOPE that he didn't just chance it!

Claustrophobic w/Mask

If your nose is dry and sore, make sure your machine has a humidifier, and use it! It will help tremendously.

As for the claustrophobic, I wonder if your mask is one of those that covers your whole face, or most of it? There are lots of different kinds of masks. My husband had the same problem and he was lucky enough to work with a respiratory therapist who put him on a "nose pillow" mask - it really doesn't cover his face at all. Ask your medical people!

Waking up from snoring while using a CAP

I had the same problem. Most likely, your mouth is dropping open and you are no longer breathing through the nasal piece on your head gear but breathing through your mouth. You need a RES MED headgear for your CAP with a chin strap or ask your Dr. for just a chin strap which you will wear at night with the head gear..

sleep apnea

i might be having hip surgery and i have severe sleep apnea, waking up 67 times an hr., i have a cpap machine but have not used it yet, every time i try i freak out and rip it off, i am very claustrophobic. i actually wake up gasping, the machine makes my nose so dry, feels like it is burning, i am thinking about having someone put it on me after i am asleep. i also take alot of meds at bedtime, allergy, anxiety, i also have asthma. should i take my cpap with me to the hospital?

Response from the author

This response is for Laura J. Douglas of Ohio -- I'm the author of this article, and I wanted to respond to your question. My advice is to contact the doctor who suggested you get the CPAP machine and let him/her know of the trouble you're having. The doctor is in the best position to offer you medical advice about how to deal with your issue. Hope this helps.