Wellness

[MW in Iowa]

I would call it gasping , and i don't have dry or sore thoat , which i know is a sympton for some people,

[Scooby Doo]

I was diagnosed with sleep apnea about 5 years ago.  Some of the symptoms are daytime sleepiness or exhaustion which can lead to depression, waking with a cough or dry throat, choking, morning headache, high blood pressure.  My oxygen levels dipped to 66 when sleeping.  You should maintain a level of 90.  It's very dangerous and people actually die in their sleep because they quit breathing.  Since I've been using my cpap machine I actually feel like a normal person.  The exhaustion was so bad I didn't have the energy to sit upright in a chair in the afternoon and found that I had a hard time coping with situations.  I don't have any of those symptoms any more.  Last month I took a nap without using my machine and, boy, did I feel it.  

If you think you have it, please see your physician and have the study done.  It's a very common problem that's easily solved.

[Eileen in Virginia]

@MW in Iowa @colleena  In addition to waking up choking or gasping for breath, do you find yourself falling asleep frequently when you're not actively engaged in doing something? Before DH was diagnosed with sleep apnea, he would fall asleep while waiting for dinner to be ready, watching the news, reading the paper, etc. When he was finally diagnosed after a sleep study, he got a cpap machine and it made a huge difference in the quality of his life. If you're concerned that you've got sleep apnea, see your doctor to discuss having a sleep study. 

[hckynut]

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@MW in Iowa wrote:

Thank you all so much , i sleep alone but i wake myself up many times some nights , i don't think mine is a loud snoring. I have developed high blood pressure for the first time in my life. I am not overweight like some , i am actually very thin and a vegetarian. I also have walked for 20 plus years. Just goes to show you thin doesn't make you healthy.

@MW in Iowa 

Not sure where you heard where being thin "makes" you healthy"!  There are 2 distinct, and very different aspects, when it comes to the human body.

There is The Health aspect, and there is the Physical Fitness aspect. They are 2 completely different things. One can be overweight and healthy, but nowhere close to being physically fit. Or switch those 2 things around, same thing.

Same with body weight. Thin and unhealthy, but very physically fit. Thin and very physically fit, an unhealthy. Many don't seem to be aware of these distinctions when it comes to their body.

Did your doctor tell you that you may have sleep apnea? If not, what makes you think you do?  Reading all these posts may make you feel better, but they do not substitute for a doctor's diagnosis. Sleep Apnea can kill people, it is not a condition to take lightly. 

hckynut(john)

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[sassenach1]

As everyone has mentioned, a sleep study is key to diagnosis. Mine showed severe obstructive sleep apnea. My numbers were very bad, almost to a critical
level. I’ve used a CPAP machine for more than five years now and it is life changing. I hope you do get a sleep study.