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Re: Sleep Apnea and Altitude

Posted by tomjax on February 24, 2004 at 16:55:33:

In Reply to: Re: Sleep Apnea and Altitude posted by Alamo Joe on February 24, 2004 at 15:21:25:

The airway is not kept open by the pressure differential between the tip of the nose and interior of lung. Imagine blowing up a balloon. the pressure is equal at all places in the balloon, not higher at the mouth and tip of balloon. The throat in prevented from collapsing by the pressure on the tissue against the structures that are about to collapse, not the dirrerential.
The exacerbation of SBD at altitude is due to the O2 concentration- remember the mountain climbers to Mt Everest have to take their own O2.
Also think of descending in scuba diving. you must continually breathe or the pressure differential can cause serious problems. The breathing equalizes the pressure as you ascend or descend. Same true in the atmosphere.
This is true in stable breathing, not that that one would have when gasping ofter exertion- then there is a very slight differential due to fluid dymanics and turbulence of the smaller passages.
Remember that the increased pressure of a cpap at 12 is the same as going down only about 4 inches in water. Not much, but enough.
Correct my physics if I am wrong. Where are the engineers?

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