Sleep Apnea Treatment

Question by Mommyof3 BGB: Having trouble breathing – looked like I swallowed a walnut??
I was 4 months pregnant when I started experience “sleep apnea” symptoms. I would wake up in the middle of the night gasping desperately for air. My son is 17 months now and it happens maybe 2xs/month. I live in Florida and we had some major smoke inhalation about 2 weeks ago, but I sat down to relax after a long day and felt like I wasnt getting enough oxygen, to the point I had my husband almost call 911. We went to the doctor that night and he gave me breathing treatments and my new doc has been getting tests for me left and right. Chest x-rays, thyroid ultrasound and breathing tests. I also have trouble swallowing with these episodes. Last night I was having some difficulty again and my friend looked over at me when I was giving a gurgling sound with it and she said it was like I swallowed a walnut! Right in the bottom of the neck- the empty part, above the chest bone, she said it was like a huge growth. I wasnt laying back just trying to breath normal, and Im a woman….

Best answer:

Answer by lesley s
I noticed a lump growing in the same spot as you describe and after a thyroid ultrasound it was discovered I have thyroid nodules, i’m now waitng to see what the doctor wants to do next.. I don’t have any problems breathing, but it depends how the growth is growing. Don’t worry, if it is a nodules they are not life threateniing, and less than 5% of them can be cancerous, and that is usually only if you are really old. If they determine that is what it is you may be able to take a medication to shrink it, or you may need to have it out, but it is a sameday surgery. Take care, i’m sure everything will be okay.

I just wanted to add that 60% of woman have nodules and don’t know it, and they are pretty common especially after having a baby.

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Question by john9898: I am having weird sleeping problems? It’s not sleep apnea so what is it?
k so basically this has been going on for about 2 and a half years. When i sleep i wake up but its only mentally, i cant physically move at all. also my heart rate beats faster than normal. It’s not a dream or anything. It’s just odd to me and it seems to happen when my head isn’t supported and my head arched back. This im pretty sure isnt deadly at all but its kinda getting on my nerves because it happens maybe twice every week. Please help!

Best answer:

Answer by Jyst4U
My guess is you might still be in a deep form of sleep while being immobile. This could be one of two things:

1. You are sleepwalking, without the walking part.

2. You are astral traveling.

For more information on astral travel, go to :

http://www.thiaoouba.com/astr.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astral_projection

As a footnote, if you ARE in astral travel state, you can have the most fun in the world. Read articles to find out why though.

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Question by little big boots: Help I have sleep apnea. The problem I am having is that the masks they have fitted me with are too big.?

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Answer by Casperia
I had the same problem. The respiratory therapist kept coming back to my house and running out to her van to bring in a couple of more to try. Finally the pulmonary doctor wrote me a prescription to go back to the sleep disorders clinic and said that they always had old styles they’d forgotten about tucked away in cupboards here and there. He was right. They scurried around for an hour finding this and that, and finally one that fit.

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Question by ѕкує вℓυє αкα ανα’ѕ мσмму: My daughter is having ENT surgery Thursday…help from parents who went through this?
My daughter is 3 and on Thursday she is having her adenoids and tonsils removed as well as tubes put in her ears. I am so scared about everything from the nurses taking her to the OR to recovery at home. I feel like I am making a bad decision to go through with this even though she desperately needs it (sleep apnea, constant ear infections).

I guess I just need some people who went through the same thing to tell me the negetives and positives about this surgery. Let me know what age your child was at the time as well and how they reacted to it.

Thanks,

Terrified Mom
Debbie Hoggins: Wow what a positive experience! I hope we can have the same!

Best answer:

Answer by Debbie Hoggins
We took my son at age 5 – the difference was immediate! As soon as he was sleeping, no more snoring, no more sleep apnea. It was the absolute best thing I could have done. And, they didn’t have to mess with his adenoids at all, just his tonsils and it took about 20 minutes. Nothing bad happened and he was great! He didn’t remember leaving the hospital, but was fine enough to eat pizza the next day. Absolutely no side effect either. Oh, and we had to pay cash because he wasn’t sick all the time (just sleep apnea and snoring) and insurance wouldn’t cover it. We took him to a ENT specialist and he said he’d schedule it for the next Friday and it needed to be done right away – his airway was 90% blocked when he laid down. Best money spent ever! Even his teacher noticed he was happier, more rested, and just better all around.

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Question by Peter C: I have mild sleep apnea. what are natural methods to improve sleep without having to use a CPAP machine ? ?

Best answer:

Answer by Bellarina
Lose weight, and also cut down on booze and coffee if they are things that you ever drink. If you have sensitive airways, manage dust and allergies. Plus, a saline nasal spray can help if you have sinus problems that are making things worse.
The CPAP machine is not that bad, noisy or uncomfortable. You’ll be surprised how much better you feel after an effective nights sleep. Use it if you really need it.

PS. I just remembered that some people can be helped by specialist dental splints. These are designed to modify the position of your jaw. The aim is to stop the soft structures in your mouth and upper throat (such as soft palate and uvula) from drooping and restricting your breathing. Not everyone finds them comfortable or effective, but it may be worth investigating.

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