Sleep Apnea Treatment

Question by Amanda: How dangerous is it to use a CPAP machine without being officially diagnosed with aleep apnea?
I know I have sleep apnea. I snore so loud and I have excessive fatigue to the point that I have to sleep more than 12 hours a day. It also runs in my family. I just got a CPAP machine from someone. How dangerous would it be for me to use it? Educated responses only.
Monica- I asked for educated responses only. I am also in the health profession and that doesn’t mean I know everything about everything. CPAP machines are not by prescription only, otherwise you could not buy them anywhere. And If you aren’t even aware that they are for sleep apnea, I am not quite sure how you managed to become a nurse.
Davisk- pneumothorax is not a “hole in the lungs”. I have studied cardiorespiratory care. I am also well aware that too much O2 can be dangerous. Also, there are no H2O levels on this machine. Are you meaning O2 levels? And finally, it is not gross. Obviously I am not stupid enough to use another person’s mask! lol.

Best answer:

Answer by monica j
very you shouldnt even take other peoples prescribed medications let alone a cpap machine which i dont know if its used for sleep apnea,but anyway the cpap has different settings for doing its job which is done by trained medical staff(usually a respitory therapist)go see a dr and dont use the cpap,its not safe and may be illegal.seek medical attention before you try to use the cpap or anything else.take care

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Question by lilly101200: I’m 80% sure I have sleep apnea. Can I get a machine and use it without going through a doctor?

Best answer:

Answer by JP
No,you need to go thru a Dr. What makes you think you have sleep apnea?

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Question by Meow Meow: Is there a way I can test if I have sleep apnea without having a sleep study?
I suspect I have it, as I have the symptoms of it. But I think my classmates would have said if I stopped breathing while sleeping in class (I was always sleeping almost all day, every day in school). Which is why I lost my place in school.

So, is there any way I can test If I have sleep apnea without having a sleep study? or any similar sleep disorders?

Best answer:

Answer by Dochallcom, PhD
Essentially, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a medical diagnosis. In consequence, your analysis for this sleeping disorder would need to be confirmed by a physician.

Due to the critical nature of this malady, professional treatment is necessary as airway blockage can cause you to stop breathing for periods of up to 20 seconds at a time. This can occur as often as every few minutes throughout the entire night.

Under normal conditions, the muscles found at the back of your throat continually hold your airway open so air can get to your lungs. These muscles relax somewhat as you sleep. Yet, if your airway is markedly narrow, these muscles can actually block your airway when they relax.
Typically, symptoms such as mood changes, depression, irritability, sudden waking from sleep, shortness of breath, waking with a dry mouth or sore throat, morning headaches, chronic loud snoring, and possibly memory problems, remain common in OSA.

The following scale is employed to determine likelihood of OSA. Take the test and see where you fall in the probability ranking.

The Epworth Sleepiness Scale

How likely are you to doze off or fall asleep in the situations described below under normal circumstances (i.e., excluding times of over-exertion and sleep deprivation)?
Use the following scale to choose the most appropriate number for each situation:
0 = Would never doze
1 = Slight chance of dozing
2 = Moderate chance of dozing
3 = High probability of dozing

Situation (rate each on a scale of 0-3)
•sitting and reading
•watching TV
•sitting, inactive, in a public place (i.e., theatre or meeting)
•as a car passenger without a break for an hour
•lying down to rest in the afternoon as circumstances permit
•sitting and talking to someone
•sitting quietly after lunch (without alchohol)
•in a car, driving, but while stopped for a few minutes in traffic

If your points total 10 or more, you are considered borderline sleep-deprived. If 12 or higher, you should seek medical attention immediately.

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Question by It’s me: Is it possible to get a job working with special needs children without a degree?
I would like to work with special needs children and don’t know where to begin. I had a special needs child (severe brain damage, scoliosis, cerebral palsy, hearing/vision loss, etc.) and he passed away 3 years ago (had severe sleep apnea and died in his sleep before his tracheotomy was performed). I’m very interested in working with young special needs children because as the mother of such a child, I understand:

#1: how difficult it can be caring for such a child.
#2: the fears a parent may have about the quality of care their child is receiving (yes, I understand that this is a fear every parent has, but parents with special needs children have even more to worry about with medical issues).
#3: this would be my chance to honor his memory in a different way, helping children (like him) who require extra care, attention and patience.

Although I have no degree or formal training, I do have 5 years of hands-on experience with my own child, who required frequent E.R. visits, hospital stays, surgeries, countless appointments with specialists, therapy, etc., and feel that I am qualified, at the very least, to care for special needs children in a daycare or classroom environment, or even their own home.

I’m not sure where to begin my search, or what tests I might have to take to show that I am qualified, so any helpful information that might get me started in my search would be greatly appreciated.

(I live in Chicago, so any local information would be great, also)
By the way, I’ve only recently moved to Chicago, my son passed away in Texas. If I were still living there, I would most definitely have already sought out employment at his former daycare or school. If we were well enough off right now with just my husband’s job, I would volunteer without a doubt, but unfortunately with our economy the way it is right now, most families (like ours) require 2 incomes in order to not just scrape by.

Best answer:

Answer by Riley
i’m not sure how to get a degree, but i’m like 99 percent sure you can’t work with special needs children without a degree. while hands on experience will probably be helpful when you get a job, you said yourself how worried parents are about the quality of care their child is recieving. they will want to be sure you are qualified. i guess look up a school that you could go to (maybe a community college) and take whatever courses are related to what you want to do

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Question by sandy: I have sleep apnea and im taking off my mask without knowing?
when i first got my cpap machine it was a blessing ….but here latley i will go to bed as normal mask on nice and comfie then i awake to find that my mask isnt on my face …so i put the mask on again just to awake that ive taking it off again ..im really at a loss i love my mask but im removing it without knowing plez help

Best answer:

Answer by Matt A
Ask the home care company if they can put a low pressure alarm on it. When you take it off you will loose pressure.

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