Posted by BreathingEZ on September 15, 2010 at 06:56:39:In Reply to: Re: Are we born with sleep apnea? posted by westernjoe on September 15, 2010 at 06:30:53:
I agree with Western Joe. We had a friend who died in his sleep when he was in his late 40's. His death was attributed to cardiac problems, but my thinking is an apnea event strained his heart to the point that he had a heart attack.
I also think I was born with my apnea in the sense that my airway is badly designed. If I hadn't started CPAP therapy 8 years ago, I'd probably be dead by now. In those eight years, I can only remember one night I was forced to spend without the machine, and that night was absolute torture. I was awakened every 15 minutes by an apnea event.
While sleep apnea may not be the direct cause of death, I suspect it's often a contributing cause, not only by leading to other serious health problems (diabetes, high blood pressure, etc.), but also through accidental deaths, such as automobile accidents late at night. Before CPAP therapy, I would find myself falling asleep on road trips late at night. That never happens now.
I agree that many, many people would benefit from CPAP therapy but never get treated.
I would add that my CPAP therapy has also greatly benefited my wife, who does not have apnea. Her sleep was being constantly interrupted by my snoring and apnea events. She now gets a great night's sleep, as do I.
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