Women & Sleep Apnea Undiagnosed!

[Sueanne]

Half of all women suffer from obstructive Sleep Apnea a condition in which tissue in the throat blocks the airway during sleep. This cases suffers to stop breathing leading to dozen of micro arousals during the night. Suffers don't even realize they are waking up. Ninety percent go undiagnosed.
Now we know that even young thin women who don't snore can have it. A sleep study is the only way to diagnose Sleep Apnea. The test is done at a sleep center.

Menopausal women are at a higher risk. In menopause estrogen dips. Estrogen boosts serotonin, when it drops the body is slower to react to blocked airways.
Is Sleep Apnea draining your energy?

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Sueanne

[RobertaD]

I was diagnosed several years ago with Sleep Apnea. I take Melatonin which helps keep me asleep so I'm not aware of constantly being awake and I get rest. And I need to lose 30-40 lbs.

Roberta

[Sueanne]

Roberta... Did you go for an overnight sleep study to be diagnosed? A friend of mine found she stopped breathing 100 times overnight without knowing it.

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Sueanne

[RobertaD]

Yes i did, they said I stopped I think it was 27 times in an hour. I was upset at the lack of medical help was told to lose weight. I had to take naps every afternoon just to get through the day.

My OBGYN at the time was every upset that they weren't treating me I guess it was my insurance not willing to pay for anything.

Roberta

[Sueanne]

Roberta....My friend went again last night for further testing. They put a mask that You wear at night that is connected with a tube to a machine. It lets you breathe in air when needed from the air around you and lets out bad air from another outlet. Said she had the best sleep overnight woke without knowing anything was attached. Guess you can wear it anytime of the day to take a nap so you will not be so tired. Will keep you informed how everything goes at home with Her.
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Sueanne

[RobertaD]

I know when I had my sleep study they had to come in and unroll me because I was all tangled in the wires.

Roberta

[RobertaD]

With the heart issues I've been dealing with since Christmas I know have a Cpap machine. I've been using it for a week now and I do feel much more rested when I wake up.

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Roberta

[ellenmelon]

Same here Roberta. After years of snoring I decided to take care of it and the lack of energy was sapping my work and home life. It's only been a month, and the insurance company will help pay for the machine if I use it faithfully for the first three months, so I am very compliant.

I don't know though how the summer will be because if the air coming in is warm in addition to moist I might feel like I am choking, but I am not. So that will be an adventure. I think AC will take care of it, but I don't know if I can deduct the $30 a month the AC will cost us in increased electric usage. Probably not.

I have the mouth and nose mask because sometimes I do gape a bit.

[RobertaD]

You can always turn down the humidity level in the summer. I'm wondering if my humidity is working as the water doesn't seem to be disappearing and doesn't get "warm". Mine is just the nose mask which I'm glad off as I tend to be a belly sleeper.

Roberta