Posted on 08/30/2016 1:39:12 PM PDT by BenLurkin
- The nighttime breathing difficulties of obstructive sleep apnea have long been linked to an increase in cardiovascular risks.
However, a new study throws confusion into that link. While treatment with CPAP did lower sleep apnea symptoms, it did nothing to lower users' long-term odds for heart attack, stroke or heart-related death.
...
McEvoy believes that, for one thing, prior observational studies may have "overestimated" the link between sleep apnea and cardiovascular outcomes. If the link is weaker than was thought, then curbing sleep apnea might not bring about as big a heart benefit as hoped, he reasoned.
Another factor might be that many participants could only use CPAP about three hours a night -- perhaps not long enough to bring about a benefit to the heart, McEvoy said. That rate of compliance does reflect real-world use, however, he added.
McEvoy pointed out that the study participants who were able to use the treatment even a bit longer -- four or more hours -- did show "a trend toward a reduction in stroke."
(Excerpt) Read more at upi.com ...
I have a bunch of boxes from when Walgreen did promos so dont know current versions. The advanced ones dont work as good for me. If i had to pay money i would not use the advanced ones. Another product I use is called max air nose cones. I Iike the softer ones but I have a small nose
I swab my hubby’s nose with listerine outside to clean off oil and sometimes if he eats cheese or ice cream that clogs him with mucous I try to swab the inside to clean so he can breathe but he balks at me swabbing his nose inside. Then once I get his nose dry I put tape on his nose then I put a layer of Vicks vapor rub under his nose on his mustache topped with straight peppermint oil. In seconds he is sleeping like a baby without too much snoring. We have been married 30 years and I do this nightly for my own restful sleep. Works like charm for me too. Gotta be careful with straight peppermint oil, will burn the deal out of your skin and eyes if you don’t use with a carrier oil. Never get it to close to your eyes.
Not overweight. Got one three months ago. Snoring is gone. Used to wake up several times a night. Immediately started sleeping through the night not waking once. Wide awake all day now. I no longer get sleepy on long drives. Anyone here who doesn’t sleep right, ignore the negative crap in this thread and try it. It’s been nothing short of amazing. Blood pressure dropped, energy all day, and no side effects of any kind.
Baloney!
I’m 75 years old and never have been over weight, but I was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes ten years ago when I retired and have been effective managing my blood sugar with medication, diet, and exercise.
Even though my wife had been complaining about my snoring for the last forty-five years, I never suspected I had Sleep apnea, so when the Anesthesiologist asked me if I had sleep apnea prior to Kidney stone surgery several years ago, I said “No.” Well, the doctors found out I did have Sleep apnea when I “Flat Lined” on the operating table. It seems that if you have Sleep apnea, certain types of Anesthesia will kill you, as it killed me. They brought me back as I was “Walking into the Light,” but I decided right then and there that I had to do something about my Sleep apnea, so I had a Sleep Study done and found that I did indeed have severe Sleep apnea with up to 30 events per hour.
I’ve been using a CPAP machine for four months now, averaging 8 hours a night, and I do feel better the next day. As this article says, it might not be doing me any good physically, but I don’t think it’s doing me any harm, so I’ll keep using it.
As an added bonus, my wife no longer complains about my snoring.
I got a better pillow. It helped quite a bit.
I use a 2-1 Serta pillow that has a memory form insert that is just the right thickness for me. I have taken out the insert and put a pillow protecter then a pillowcase on it. The memory form is shape with a flat back and curve half shaped like a pillow.
I had bought two of them. I use 1 or both and I sleep longer without the backache as well.
Available at Kohl’s:
http://www.kohls.com/product/prd-1683551/serta-2-in-1-reversible-gel-memory-foam-pillow.jsp
No longer at Amazon. See images.
https://www.amazon.com/Serta-Reversible-Memory-Classic-Pillow/dp/B0040QDY7G/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
BFL
I use one, my wife insists I use it, but I am still not convinced my sleep is any better. It is annoying wearing the mask, and I still feel tired.
I’m not obese and use it. It is just my physiology that is the problem. Apparently men with thick necks like myself experience it more as well. Just happens that my tongue collapses over the air ways when I sleep. Nothing to do with being over weight, but that of course can complicate it.
I was diagnosed with it in my early 40’s, I had a bad bicycle wreck and shattered my elbow. I was not obese..I had been sleeping BADLY for years and it was wearing me down. During the elbow operation they realized I had sleep apnea BAD. Also some insomnia....
I had been very active riding bikes 3000 miles a year for quite awhile and other athletic things...and was in pretty decent shape.
I know I would have been dead by now without it, if I even nap without it I wake up feeling worse, punchy and hung over, sometimes with a bad headache that won’t go away.... The lack of sleep over the years has messed up my short term memory some as well.
I wear it all night every night, don’t really like it.. but its necessary for me, and helps.
Probably a good many at least from what I have seen. I always wondered about those that always say they hope they die in their sleep and then throw this on themselves every night. If this machine stops you from dying in your sleep then you are going to possibly die a much worse death. Always wondered about that.....lol. Yes morbid.
Those with physiological issues like yourself are apparently in the minority-and I certainly sympathize with you-the only issue any of the people I know who use a CPAP have is morbid obesity, according to them.
They don’t die of sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea places a stress on the heart, lungs and entire cardiovascular system as well as having the people be exhausted all the time, a physical and mental drain.
So they are more susceptible to these diseases.
My husband loves his. He sleeps better. The first mask he used was uncomfortable, but the one he wears now is comfortable.
It takes allot of meditation type practice to sleep with a c-pap. You have to lay on your back and learn to totally relax. Waking up during the night un-helpable due to hissing or mask slip. The only way to tell if it is working is to occasionally wear a sleep monitor on your hand that measures oxygen and co2 levels. Co2 is what will kill you.
Maybe those of us with Sleep Apnea need a low dose statin drug at bedtime to help the cpap treatment.
I have had sleep apnea for close to 20 years, and it is controlled fairly well with a good machine and one of the lightweight nasal masks.
A few weeks ago I was put on 10mg of Pravastatin at bedtime. Not for the normal statin reason, but to further reduce my inflammation levels.
I had somewhat of a problem going to sleep at first, and then I took the tablet one hour before bedtime.
After that, my wife and I noticed that I was not fighting the cpap machine and mask as often during the night. On her suggestion, I took off the mask about 4 am one morning to see if I could get by without the cpap. It didn’t work, I slept and snored.
Since then, I have had very uneventful nights of sleep using the cpap machine and the light weight nasal mask.
Daytime BP’s and pulse rates have been good with no real changes.
The one note able side effect was the first two nights. The drug impacted me like when I was on active duty in the Navy and during some long stressful events, we were give a meth tab. I couldn’t turn off my mind for several hours after taking a tab at bedtime.
Below is an interesting link to a sleep study with a statin and sleep apnea.
The studies about long term implications are irrelevant to me - CPAP lets me sleep in peace! That said, I've got to think waking up in the middle of the night with your heart racing and gasping for breath is not a positive thing! ;^)
Also, the stress on your spouse can be as bad or worse on them as you. when you have those problems breathing.
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