Posted by annieca on October 20, 2010 at 09:55:27:In Reply to: Re: Are we born with sleep apnea? posted by life is great on October 07, 2010 at 14:26:43:
I believe that sleep apnea is inheritable. Both of my parents have it and now, I, as a teenager, have it as well. Looking further back, my aunt and both grandmothers have/had sleep apnea.
There have been some recent studies that have shown there are some inherited traits or characteristics that make you more likely to have sleep apnea. One of those traits is where you gain weight. Some families just naturally gain weight around their necks (weird to think about, I know) which increases their risk for OSA. Other families have the jaw and throat structures that make the perfect environment for sleep apnea.
I would keep trying different masks, if I were you. It took me about a month or so to get used to using a CPAP at all but I know I'm not going to die when I'm fifty because of a heart attack. I'm not saying that will happen to you - but think of the quality of life you could be having if you found a mask that worked for you.
I'm not sure about other insurance companies and CPAP providers, but Blue Cross Blue Shield let's you try out a mask for two weeks to see if you like it before the company bills the insurance company. This has helped a lot because I find some masks are worse in winter and make underneath my nose super dry and others I think would work but don't. If you could do this I would recommend it. It shouldn't require a sleep test as well.
If it's just air leakage then a new mask should solve the problem. However, if it's that you feel like the pressure is too strong too soon, maybe try changing the ramp.
Hope that helps!