Sleep Apnea Treatment

Question by Kieliah: how can I breathe using a cpap with a deveated septum?
sleep apnea cpap machine with face mask can’t breathe nose has deveated septum
been to ENT dr hence the diagnosis of the septum. sleep study confirmed OSA
(husband) throat closes and deveated septum can’t breathe with or without mask, what to do? sleep dr not helpful.

Best answer:

Answer by 2 cents
First off, you really need to see an ear,nose throat doctor. it could be the cause of your sleep apnea. Fixing a deviated septum may help to open the nasal passages. A crooked septum can make breathing difficult. The condition also can lead to snoring and sleep apnea. The cpap is not going to help much.

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Question by Foo: I need to hear from people with sleep apnea? Can’t breathe?
I keep waking up “gasping” for air. It’s like someone has been suffocating me. It happens a lot after a night of drinking. I am 30 and have been told this might be sleep apnea.

It really feels like I am dying sometimes. I called a local sleep disorder clinic in my area and they said they need my primary doctors permission to do any testing. Is this what sleep apnea is like? Thanks
It still happens after a night of not drinking. I don’t drink every day, I work 12 hour midnight shifts at a hospital and it’s messing with my job since I keep waking up frequently.

Best answer:

Answer by The mom
Actually, no, it’s not what sleep apnea is like. Most people with the problem don’t even realize it, although they are often told by bed partners that they sleep like chain saws. They usually feel pretty sleep deprived, tired all the time, and sometimes will fall asleep while doing other things. It sounds more like you are experiencing breathing problems due to an over-consumption of alcohol, which is after all an anesthetic. To find out if you actually have sleep apnea, you would first need to see your regular doctor. The doctor refers you to a sleep clinic, where you spend the night being monitored while you sleep. You generally get the results the next day or so. If you do actually have sleep apnea, they will prescribe a CPap machine to wear at night, to prevent you from stopping breathing. In your case though, I think you’d have better luck if you just dialed back on the alcohol some. A CPap won’t help you breath if you are simply too anesthetized to do it on your own. That’s the job of a respirator. They also won’t do a sleep study after you’ve been drinking, and you evidently don’t have the problem otherwise. As the evaluation for sleep apnea will run you near the $ 4000 mark, it might be cheaper for you to consider simply going easier on the drinks.

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Question by Dick: I have sleep apnea and I used a cpap machine on occasion. When I wake up after using it, it hurts to breathe..?
It almost feels like I have asthma afterwards. It’s not severe, just uncomfortable and it goes away after a bit. I am just wondering if anyone has experienced this or would know anything about it.

Best answer:

Answer by meggsie
I have the same effect, though not quite to your extent. I think it’s because the CPAP is making us breathe properly..i.e. using our lungs as we should use them instead of the shallow breathing we mostly do during sleep without the the CPAP, therefore our lungs are filling with air which they’re not normally used to, like a muscle, they’re used to an extent that’s they’re not used to, thus a little pain in that muscle. Most of us shallow breathe during the day. I would suggest that you see a doctor just to make sure that it’s not some underlying lung infection, better to be sure than sorry.

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Question by Mr Haun: Is the inability to breathe upon waking up, during sleep paralysis normal? or does this point to Sleep Apnea?
Throughout my life and even nowdays, but especially when I was 8-14, I have sleep paralysis but often times when I get this, I also cannot breathe and It is not until I panic that I wake up. I also note that at about age 19 when I began regularly using marijuana, the occurance, or at least realization, of sleep paralysis and not being able to breath while waking up has dramatically ceased and is very rare now.

Best answer:

Answer by pdl756
I think you got the answers you needed when you asked this question the first time.

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it seems as though my body forgets to breathe sometimes. my blood oxygen level will drop to the 70s if i don’t use oxygen. i sleep with a BiPap for the sleep apnea. additionally, the environment has to be extremely cool for me to be able to breathe comfortably. can someone tell me why i am having these issues?