Not to make light of this topic.. It is a very serious condition.
Does every heavy snorer have this?
I'm still up.
You're telling me, I have OSA (obstructive sleep apnea) and it sucks. I don't have one of those nifty CPAPs because they're expensive and my insurance won't cover it because it's not 'medical necessity.' I don't get the extreme fatigue of some sufferers, but I need to sleep anywhere from 12-14 hours to get away from the fatigue. Unfortunately outside of college, there aren't many jobs that allow you to sleep that much and get away with it.
Actually, people without apnea are just as likely to die. In fact, that's just about 100% for everybody.
Seriesly, though, I have sleep apnea, and I use a CPAP machine. Have had one for over seven years now. It does help my breathing, it cuts out my snoring, and I'm not as tired during the day. It's not a complete fix, and it's still a bit cumbersome to use, but I'm better off with it than without it.
On that note, appropriately, I'm off to bed.
"at least doubles the risk of stroke or death"
So there is a better than 200% chance that I will die? I want my money back.
It is a very serious condition.
Tell me. I use a CPAP machine
My insurance covered surgery for obstructive sleep apnea. I had to get a representative for the HMO to help them see the light.
I had chronically swollen tonsils and so I told them, it would be money well spent to fix the rest while they were in there. I managed to avoid the CPAP. I had a uvulectomy, tonsils removed, excess tissue in the throat removed and they fixed a deviated septum.
Best money that I've never spent in my life. Knowing what I do now, I'd pay for it out of my own pocket.
It does have mixed results in the success rate. Mine improved my sleep and life dramatically. An end to bruised ribs from my wife elbowing me in the ribs to get me to start breathing again.
If you have apnea, get it treated. You'll have more energy when you get good sleep.
Sleep apnea is a potentially deadly disease. Unfortunately, what the NEJM article about the use of CPAP in heart failure really said was that it was totally useless and doesn't work for these people. The truth is that a significant number of apnea sufferers do not have obstructive sleep apnea but rather a different, more dangerous condition called complex sleep apnea. The problem is that CPAP is of little or no use in treating that form of the disease. Little wonder that more than half of all people who get a CPAP stop using it within weeks. Here is a link to something about complex apnea. I know, I have it myself and CPAP only made me worse. Now I sleep with a new kind of machine and I sleep great.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16217173&query_hl=1
My Wife not only snores but, makes wheezing noises that drive me insane. She's lucky to be alive, apnea or not.
Wow - didn't realize there were so many apnea sufferers here.
I am married to one who uses a CPAP and it saved our marriage - I used to sleep down the hall with a pillow over my head and I could STILL hear him snore.
We call it the sleep-happy machine.