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Re: Newbie with Apnea

Posted by grumpy on March 28, 2005 at 20:25:00:

In Reply to: Newbie with Apnea posted by Herbiefreddie on March 28, 2005 at 04:45:34:

welcome herbiefreddie, there's lots of data to analyze but what matters most is that you have an RDI (respiratory distress index)of 16.5 which isn't too bad but needs addressing as it usually gets worse with age. How did the ENT arrive at his diagnosis? Did he do a mueller maneuver with a laryngoscope where he puts a lighted tube in your nose, plugs the other nostril and asks you to try and breathe in? This test is not very accurate as it is not done while sleeping. You might want to start with a thyroid test as an underactive thyroid can cause you to relax too much when asleep allowing your tongue to close the airway. You also want to get a lateral cephlagraph to check the size of your airway. Do you snore? This can be an indication of too much loose flesh in the upper airway. Try to get a sleep doc that can run the comprehensive test to try and determine the source of obstruction. With such a low RDI you'll probably be able to get away without major surgery. You also mentioned a septoplasty. Are you a mouth breather? If you have a deviated septum getting it fixed will allow you to breath through your nose at night but be sure they also check your turbinates for hypertrophy (swelling) as it is common for the side opposite the deviation to swell and not come down after surgery and should be addressed at the same time as the septo. Make sure you go slow and feel comfortable with each step. Ask lots of questions and take notes if necessary. Make sure you are confident with anyone recommending surgery and thoroughly check out their credentials. In general the success rate from septoplasty is 5% and UPPP is around 40%.

good luck and keep us posted on your progress.

Grumpy

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