Inspired by myself...Do your or your SO snore??

[jfulcer]

Whenever I see a 'my spouse snored so bad'... thread it gets me really going and gets me up on my soapbox about Sleep Apnea and the related problems.

So imagine my surprise when I went to go get health insurance (DW works part time and the place I work doesn't offer me insurance) and was thinking 'oh, we're all a pretty healthy crew'.

WRONG! One of the first 5 questions is 'Do you or anyone in your family have Sleep Apnea?". It's an immediate DENIAL of private insurance if you have it.

So I was thinking... Insurance companies know how serious Sleep Apnea is - why don't the millions of undiagnosed snorers???

If you snore, get tested. It's about the easiest test you ever took. You get to sleep through it!

 

[chager]

My DH is a very loud snorer. Yes he was tested. Yes he has the little machine. No he doesn't always use it He doesn't like the mask so we have to find another one. I think he may also have sinus passage issues but he won't go to an ENT. He hates going to see any Dr!

 

[Pooh_Friend#1]

YES...my DBF snores so loud and obnoxious most of the time he sleeps. I didn't realize he could take a test and maybe something could help with the snoring so I could sleep!! Must call him now!! How do you get set up with one of these tests?

 

[pjlla]

My husband was a horrible snorer!! To the point where it was difficult for us to stay overnight with family, as it kept people awake! And he refused to talk to a doctor about it. He didn't think that there was anything wrong! He thought we all just exaggerated about how loud his snoring was. Anyhow..... fast forward 16 months..... he has lost almost 70 pounds and does not snore AT ALL any more!!! YEAH!....................P

 

[stinkerbelle]

my hubby sometimes snores...but my brother - holy crap - the whole house would shake!

he DOES have sleep apnea (diagnosed after a sleep study) - he actually had a nose job 2 years ago to 'correct' it. He found out recently that it's happening again. His partner noticed that he would stop breathing for minutes at a time during the night.

he's going back next week for another consultation...he REALLY doesn't want to go back to surgery though.

 

[Big V]

I have been a loud snorer since I was a kid. When my brother and I shared a bedroom, he would make me sleep in the closet so he could get some sleep! My Dw and I couldn't sleep together because of my snoring. Finally, after talking to you Jeff about your C-PAP, I went and got tested last fall. And I had SEVERE sleep apnea! Now I use my machine every night and sometimes I like to take a nap on the weekends and I'll even use it for that! It really does make a difference in how you feel. Pooh_Friend#1, call your family doctor and I'm sure he'll steer you where to go.
Scott

 

[EsmeraldaX]

My SO snores so loudly there are nights that I literally do not sleep.

He won't go to the doctor though.

 

[Stepharoonie!]

My bf sure does snore. Do matter what room I'm in, you can hear it!!

 

[grinningghost]

DH's snoring sounds just like the freight trains he works on. He went to a sleep study to get checked for apnea, and sorry, he can't use that excuse. No apnea - just snoring.

 

[scarlett873]

DH snores too...

i sleep with ear plugs!! and a fan or humidifier to help drown out the noise...

haven't checked for sleep apnea though. he started snoring a few years back...about the same time he put on a few extra pounds!

 

[Celluloidgal]

I snore occasionally, especially when I'm really exhusted

But the worst was when I was on a church ladies retreat...I snored SO LOUD someone had to actually wake me up to tell me to keep it down.I was soooooo embarassed

 

[Figment22]

Originally posted by chager
My DH is a very loud snorer. Yes he was tested. Yes he has the little machine. No he doesn't always use it He doesn't like the mask so we have to find another one. I think he may also have sinus passage issues but he won't go to an ENT. He hates going to see any Dr!

Can you explain what "the little machine" is and how it works? I'd really like to know.

My husband really needs to be tested. I just know it's sleep apnea because I've had to wake him up to get him breathing again. He just doesn't want to go for the test. I haven't had a good night's sleep in years I'm often heading for the couch in the middle of the night.

 

[mt2]

After I had DS, everyone told me how bad I snored. My MIL told me that it was a contest between me and my DFIL. I wanted to crawl into a hole but I was still too big from the pregnancy. When I lost the extra 30lbs (2 years later) I quit snoring. DFIL has one of the machines. He takes it everywhere he has to go for work (overseas alot). He was excited one morning after he started using it. He had his first dream (that he could remember) in years.

Had another friend that had to have the surgery. It has worked wonders but might not have done it if he knew how much it was going to hurt afterwards.

I wonder why the insurance doesn't want to cover this? That is a shame.

Happy Thoughts to all

mt2

 

[Big V]

Here you go Figment22:
http://www.entnet.org/healthinfo/snoring/cpap.cfm

 

[Geezer]

My wife says I snore sometimes. Do all snorers have apnea?

 

[Big V]

No Geezer, not all snorers have sleep apnea. Sometimes it's just from being overweight or some type of sinus problems.

 

[Kermit]

I snore when I'm pregnant. Your blood volume increases by 1/3 when you're pregnant, and the veins in my nose just get so big that there isn't room for me to breathe properly. According to DH, Breathe Right strips help me a lot. If I forget to put one on, I'll wake up in the middle of the night when he does it for me.

I may never buy another pregnancy test. I'll just go to the OB the next time I start snoring.

 

[TinkBoo&ElliesMum]

My DH snored, loudly - after spending a few months in the other room I dragged him off to the sleep center, he had his overnight visit and was having 15+ apnea spells in an hour! He came home with a cpap!

I snore but since DH now sleeps like the dead he wouldn't know if I was having apnea spells or not. So I went in for a sleep study too - it was boringly normal

My Grandma and Dad have cpaps too.

 

[JCJRSmith]

I too have Obstructive Sleep Apnea. During my sleep study I averaged 62 apnea events per hour. My blood oxygen level dropped to 58% while my pulse skyrocketed to 133 beats per minute (my resting pulse - wide awake - was 60 BPM).

The CPAP has been LIFE CHANGING for me. I encourage everyone, if you snore or your SO snores, get checked out. I recently did a commercial (airing on our local TV stations) promoting the sleep center run by one of the local health organizations. It starts with the words "Jerry Smith could not drive long distances without falling asleep, and was having trouble staying awake at work. His wife said he snored very loudly..."

I have become an evangelist for getting OSA treated because of the amazing changes it has caused in my life - I have energy, I can concentrate, I no longer need naps during the day, I can drive long distances with no problem (we pull a camper and I do all the driving - SWMBO does not like to drive when towing). I sleep like a brick and wake up refreshed.

For those unsure if they should be checked out by a doc, ask yourself the folllowing questions - if you answer yes to any of them see your doctor:

1. Do you wake up tired and have trouble getting motivated to get out of bed?

2. Does you S.O. say you snore very loudly and does it sound like you are gasping for air at times?

3. Do you wake up with headaches?

4. Do you wake up with cold hands or feet or feeling that your hands or feet are asleep and stiff?

5. Do you have trouble staying awake while driving?

6. Do you have trouble staying awake in the afternoon or evening, especially right after eating?

Please, people - if you show any of the symptoms, see your doctor.

 

[JCJRSmith]

Geezer -

Actually, EVERYONE has sleep apnea. It is only considered serious in those who average more than 15 apnea events per hour. It is most common in males over 40 who are overweight. See my post above and have your wife describe to you what your snoring sounds like.