I was diagnosed with OSA but only after having chronic a-fib, two cases of sub-dural hematoma (no head injury, but related to blood thinners), acute respiratory failure. My often interrupted sleep was thought to be due to an enlarged prostate. (Having to pee at night frequently was a symptom, but low oxygen as I fell asleep kept me awake until I noticed that I had to pee— thought I would go back to sleep. I was having oxygen level drops about 45 times an hour.
The first time I was put on oxygen at night I slept through the night. Amazement.
It has been three years with my ventilator— I need more pressure than a CPAP
provides. I am 79 and so I needed this years ago but now feel mush improved today. My message is this problem can be undetectable and doctors are getting better at requesting tests for OSA but in my case they were decades late.
“this problem can be undetectable and doctors are getting better at requesting tests for OSA but in my case they were decades late.”
My experience, too. I was in my late 50s or early 60s when I noticed increased tiredness. I finally mentioned it to my doc during an annual physical and he suggested an overnight sleep study (polysomnography). To my amazement, the results showed I had many oxygen desaturation events during the night. I kind of refused to acknowledge getting old and I had a problem, so it took me a year to get the CPAP prescription filled and another couple years before I started using it.
I guess there was no way for the doctors to know you are having problems unless you complain about something like tiredness or excessive night time urination.