Sleep Apnea

[chem geek]

I had mild sleep apnea and frequent snoring and had surgery to resolve it that has been successful.  I was told that the following table defines the severity of sleep apnea based on number of disrupted breathing incidents per hour and the percentage of oxygen:

< 5 normal
5-19 & > 90% O2 mild
20-30 & 80-90% O2 moderate
> 30 & < 80% severe

I had 12 per hour and 93% O2 before the surgery.  I had a strongly deviated septum so I had surgery to fix that and also had a radio-frequency (RF) treatment to reduce the size of the turbinates and also 3 RF treatments (over time) on the soft palate.  The quoted rates for success were the following:

80-85% surgery success for sleep apnea & snoring
70-75% RF success for snoring only

For most of my life I never realized that it is normal to be able to breathe freely equally through both nostrils -- I was usually at least partially obstructed in one if not both.  I also liked to sleep in and would be drowsy with too little sleep usually needing 9+ hours per night.  Now I breathe well and can get up early with less sleep and feel refreshed.  My doctor was Dr. Riley (more info here).  By the way, I've always been skinny (underweight) so weight was not the issue.

Additional information may be found here.

Richard

[fdegree]

< 5 normal
5-19 & > 90% O2 mild
20-30 & 80-90% O2 moderate
> 30 & < 80% severe

My sleep study indicated that I averaged 12 episodes per hour.  But, what worries me is the O2 level.  It would drop to 69%.  Looking at the above information, it makes me wonder if my results are accurate...I'm way outside the ranges with the O2 level.

[Gary]

I have minor SA but I snore light several freight trains, I have had several surgeries to help and they have helped some but what ended up working the best was a mouthpiece to hold my lower jaw forward when I sleep. I still snore but not that bad. I forget the name of it but you have to get it though a dentist (not one of those cheap ones you see on TV), they mold it to fit you perfect.

[wmccall]

I have minor SA but I snore light several freight trains, I have had several surgeries to help and they have helped some but what ended up working the best was a mouthpiece to hold my lower jaw forward when I sleep. I still snore but not that bad. I forget the name of it but you have to get it though a dentist (not one of those cheap ones you see on TV), they mold it to fit you perfect.

Perfect sleep  is what it is called.  Did you jaw get sore and you eventually got used to it?

[Gary]

Perfect sleep  is what it is called.  Did you jaw get sore and you eventually got used to it?

Yes, it only took a couple of nights. It has adjustments that you are supposed increase slightly over a couple period but I maxed mine out the first night.

I found the name: T.A.P. Thornton Adjustable Positioner

http://www.amisleep.com/

[Swell-Tub]

I have had SA for a lot of years. Insurance paid for a CPAP rental and then after 18 months you own it. I got a RemStar Pro with a humidifier. Before that I had surgery on the vestibules inside my nose. That made it much easier to breath and was a pretty simple surgery. I really notice a difference when I sleep with the CPAP and the humidifier makes it so my throat is not so dried out in the morning. I let the hose hang down my side to keep air from escaping near the mouth. It takes a little practice with the straps and position of the air hose and you can make it through the night OK. Now my wife has started snoring but my CPAP drowns her out so I can sleep great. When I go on fishing trips everyone in the Condo knows where I'm sleeping.

Scott  8-)

[tanstaafl2]

Yes, it only took a couple of nights. It has adjustments that you are supposed increase slightly over a couple period but I maxed mine out the first night.

I found the name: T.A.P. Thornton Adjustable Positioner

http://www.amisleep.com/

There are several different sleep appliances that one can be fitted with for sleep apnea and snoring as a possible alternative to CPAP. I have used a SUAD device in the past although I haven't been using it much lately.

But it is a good idea to see a dentist with experience in the area to see what might work best for each individual case.