Sleep Apnea Treatment

Question by : Worried about my mum’s health?
My mum has recently been diagnosed with diabetes (within the past few years), and has a weight problem that seems to be causing sleep apnea. Despite this, she still eats sugary and fatty foods on a daily basis (for example she will sit down and eat a whole packet of chocolate biscuits by herself while watching tv.

Im really worried because she has a history of cancer in her family (her mum and dad both died of cancer). She doesnt seem to care at all about her health. Every time i try to talk to her about it she yells at me and tells me how shes had a weight problem all her life and she cant change it now. She says its too hard.

I dont know what to do or what to say because everytime i talk to her about it she yells at me and gives me the silent treatment until shes sure i wont bring it up again.

Please give me some ideas as to what i can do. Im out of ideas.

Thanks,
Andrew

Best answer:

Answer by Patricia C
Diabetes and cancer are not related so don’t worry about that. Regarding the diabetes, if it is bad enough her doctor will recommend medication or even insulin injections. I know because I am diabetic. I suggest that you talk to her about these alternatives rather than bugging her about what she eats because that won’t get you anywhere.

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Question by : Question about lymph nodes and sleep apnea?
I’ve been having problems with my sleep apnea lately and I remember this happening exactly this same time last year Is it possible that it’s because my lymph nodes are swollen due to the heat? Since last summer I’ve lost 40 pounds and my apnea has gotten much better because of it. I only need to lose 20 more pounds to be considered in my healthy weight range, so I really don’t think that my weight is the cause of my apnea. But the last week I’ve been having problems with my apnea, and right now I can tell my lymph nodes are swollen slightly. Is there any other kind of condition that would cause my lymph nodes to swell up just once a year (rather than the heat being a factor)? I was thinking about lupus, cancer or HIV (I don’t engage in high risk activities so I’m 99.9% sure I don’t have it, plus I get tested, I guess it just doesn’t hurt to throw it out there as a possibility) but wouldn’t that make them swell on a regular basis? I am a healthy 30 year old female with no major health problems. And my apnea is only mild. I eat healthy for the most part and I try to exercise on a regular basis. I just want to know if there are any diseases that would make my lymph nodes swell just once or twice in a year’s time, not on a regular basis. Or if it is most likely due to the heat, given the time of year it happens.

Best answer:

Answer by Linda R
Lymph nodes usually swell as a result of some kind of systemic infection. If it comes once a year it is not lupus, HIV, or cancer. I doubt it is related to your sleep apnea, but the heat may be. If you are in doubt, call your doctor. Better to be safe than sorry.

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Question by Sherry: Why would an evil entity want to give false alarms about impending deaths of three people ?
A close friend of mine claims an aneurysm was discovered on an X-ray in 1999 after a car wreck. He is 65 years old. He has not had surgery or treatment for it. If this is true, how is it that it hasn’t disected. I had a cousin half his age (32 years old) who died immediately from an anuerysm. My friend also had gotten “messages from God” in the past that he was going to pass away in a certain month, which didn’t happen. He says his being here after that are “extensions from God”. He also told me the Lord was going to take me home to Heaven by age 47 (now I’m 48). Aslo, he told me that God was going to bring judgment on a handy man in March 2009 that had been stealing and threatening him, which did not happen either.

He used to call me on the telephone every night and we talked for about three to four hours (not always about my church) and I was getting very annoyed.

He also has had for many years:

Congestive heart failure
Severe asthma
Cellulitis of the legs
Sleep apnea
Obesity (well over 300 pounds)

Given all these conditions at once, how has he survived for so long unless it’s for the reason I stated? Since 2002 he had kept telling me his time was “short” until two years ago. He has stopped telling me that because he knows I won’t believe him anymore. Am I wrong in being skeptical about his sicknesses and thinking he is either a hypochondriac or being deceived by an evil spirit.

Best answer:

Answer by Sgt. Sarcasm
He is definitely hypochondriac. It’s a mental illness of a sorts. He is not being deceived by an evil spirit. He is just trying to get attention with these so called “messages from god”. Either that or he is insane.

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Question by : How to tell friends about my serious health issues that I’ve kept quiet about?
Your Open Question: How to tell friends about my health problems?

I’ve been going through a hard time lately and I haven’t really filled any of my friends in on the details. They have no clue I’ve been very ill and I don’t know how to tell them. I don’t want to seem like I want attention or special treatment, because I don’t… I just want them to understand I guess

I’ve been diagnosed with severe hypothyroidism, pernicious anemia, sleep apnea, vitamin deficiencies, and I’m being sent to the cancer center for suspected Cushing’s disease caused by a brain tumor. I really just don’t know how to tell them all. I haven’t touched base with them in a while so this is why it feels awkward. It would be over facebook as they all live far away. What should I do? How should I bring it up?

I just feel like an annoyance and a bother with my health issues…. Thank you so much. Blessings.
@vikram the pituitary is in the brain. As I have not been taking steroids to cause cushings, the tumor is either in my brain (pituitary) or on my adrenals on my kidneys. Some of the others do not have a cure, but instead are managed. I could go into more detail, but it’s complicated. Unfortunately, I’m not feeling well but I’m hoping to soon. I’m keeping my head held high.

Best answer:

Answer by Kevin S
post it on facebook then the world can see

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Question by : What do you do about Rashes from Apnea Machine?
My father wants to know if anybody has suffered from skin rashes from using an Apnea machine. Does anybody know what to use?? or what to do? He has to sleep with it everynight, and has been using it for years. It is around the face where the straps go and his nose is very dry and a little rashy..any advice would help, thank you.

And he does not have insurance, so we are trying to find something from the pharmacy..

Best answer:

Answer by Jerry
The skin issue is probably not be a true rash, but rather annoyed by the friction of the straps rubbing against it. That happened to me as I was starting CPAP use. A few ideas:

Try hydrocortisone cream or spray to calm the irritated skin.

Try loosening the straps a bit. If your father sleeps on his side, the pressure of his face against the pillow can keep the face mask in place without being so tight.

Try routing the tube down to the mask from above his forehead instead of up from below. This will lessen the amount of air flow around his nose and help prevent drying out.

Make sure the equipment is cleaned daily, especially the parts that come in contact with the skin.

See how long it has been since your father replaced the nose piece.

Soak the water tray in white vinegar every so often. Make sure it is rinsed and dried daily.

Best of luck.

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