DanM

Thanks, @CharmingTanSparrow4349! We're glad you found MyApnea.Org and are lending your voice to so many others who have joined the community looking for answers. Together, we hope to make a difference in the lives of people living with sleep apnea and to help drive research in areas our members find important. We hope you will complete the surveys, spread the word to others about MyApnea.Org, and maybe even consider proposing a research question. Welcome!

Hi @pickle330. Events per hour reported by the machine can fluctuate, but the hope is that treatment will help keep the number of events lower than what you would experience without treatment. Each person's experience will be different, as severity and complexity of sleep apnea can vary greatly between individuals. Hopefully, your sleep doctor will review the data at your appointment. I would encourage you to take your machine and mask with you to that appointment. If taking the entire machine is not possible, at least try and take your data card or have your home care company send your doctor a compliance/therapy report. Treatment of your sleep apnea might not necessarily cure your heart issue, but it can help to reduce the stress on your heart. This is true of other illnesses as well. For example, CPAP can lower blood pressure, but it might still be necessary to take medication for hypertension. Thanks, and hope you had a great weekend as well!

Great tip, @RationalAquamarineReindeer0298. Thanks for sharing that with the community. Your idea is similar to some of the mask liner and moleskin recommendations we've seen on the forum, in that it creates that barrier between the mask and the skin. Medical grade paper tape is usually a little more gentle, and it can be easily found in the first aid section of most stores.

Hello @UnassumingOcherSpider0496. It is known that low blood oxygen levels, or hypoxia, can increase red blood cell counts. The elevation in red blood cells, called polycythemia, generally occurs because the body is trying to compensate for low oxygen levels in the blood. Since sleep apnea often causes people to experience repeated lowering of blood oxygen levels during the night, physicians may refer a patient for a sleep study to test for sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is related to health problems such as hypertension, diabetes, stroke and heart disease. There are many others, but these are the most commonly discussed. While the elevated red blood counts you mention can be related to sleep apnea, these counts can also be related to other underlying health conditions. It is important to follow up with your physician to see if your blood counts return to normal after successful treatment of your sleep apnea. I’m happy to hear you have found a nasal pillow that works for you! Best wishes with your continued treatment, and thank you for sharing your experiences on MyApnea.Org. Please keep us posted on your progress!

Thanks, @AlwaysTired. It would be great if you would consider sharing information you learn about the implant with other community members here at MyApnea.Org. Perhaps we can consider starting a new topic here on the forum.

Hi @AlwaysTired. It sounds like you have faced many challenges throughout diagnosis and treatment, but good for you for exploring so many options! The fact that you are still attempting to find a solution is admirable, as it seems you are aware of the possible consequences of untreated OSA. Have you tried a nasal mask or nasal pillows with a chin strap, or did you go straight to a full face mask? The implant is rather new, and I do not have much experience with patients who have opted for this treatment option. I have heard good things from fellow sleep professionals who do have patients that have the device. A good place to start would be to talk to your sleep physician about the implant. I recommend that you print out information and actually take it to your next visit. You might also consider contacting the company or checking their website to see if there are providers in your area who are offering this treatment. Those providers would likely be able to talk to you about whether you are a good candidate for the implant and about success rates and possible side effects. Please keep us posted on your progress! There are probably many MyApnea.Org members who are interested in the implant. If any members have experience, please share if you feel so inclined!

Hi @VersatileMagentaLlama0669. Both OSA and CSA are generally caused by underlying conditions. For CSA, there are many people whose CSA does not respond to CPAP, and BiPAP can be a good alternative. It might take your body some time to adjust to treatment before the central apneas resolve. Dr. Redline (SusanR on the forum) discusses this a bit under the Central/Mixed Apnea topic here on the forum. Give BiPAP some time and see how you do. If BiPAP doesn't correct the problem, there are other treatments your sleep physician might choose to try. As for your concern about an underlying condition, the causes of CSA can vary. In fact, some medications can cause central apnea. I encourage you to talk to your physician. Ask questions. Tell him or her about your concerns. Maybe that will help relieve some of your worry! Welcome to MyApnea.Org, and keep us posted on how you are doing!

Hi Simon. Welcome to MyApnea.Org, and I am glad to hear your sleep apnea is finally being treated. There are many physicians out there who don't know much about sleep disorders, so finding a good sleep physician can greatly contribute to your success. 3 nights of treatment is excellent progress, but remember that you have probably not slept well for all of the years you were undiagnosed. It might take some time for you to adjust to the mask and the airflow from the machine. Hopefully, as your body adjusts to treatment, you will start to realize deeper sleep and the benefits that come with that--including more energy. Keep up the good work, wear your treatment nightly, and let us know how you are doing!

Hi @butts505. Congratulations on starting to feel better, and welcome to MyApnea.Org! Sleep apnea contributes to so many other health problems, and it sounds like you are on the road to improvements. Persistence is key with treatment, and please feel free to post your questions and share your experiences here on the forums. We look forward to hearing about how you're doing, and thanks for contributing!

Hi @suumessage. Was the mouthpiece from your orthodontist made specifically for sleep apnea? Oral appliances for sleep apnea are usually adjustable and must be titrated for each patient. Titration can sometimes take several visits. Regarding the noise and mask issues with bipap, are you willing to share more information? For example, was the machine noisy, or was the noise from the mask and airflow? What types of mask did you try? I ask because I once experienced a similar issue, and my noise turned out to be a defective machine. As for other therapies, these are the 2 most common. If you feel you have exhausted your options with both treatments, I encourage you to talk to your sleep physician about alternative treatments. There are other options for treating sleep apnea, but the appropriateness of each treatment is very specific to each patient's situation and relies on a qualified sleep physician familiar with your diagnosis and other overall health conditions to make a recommendation. Good luck!