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Deviated Septum and Sleep Apnea
#1
Deviated Septum and Sleep Apnea
Hello,

As I am still in the early days of figuring out all of my sleep issues I have another question related to another health issue I have.

How can a deviated septum affect sleep apnea or CPAP therapy?

I know that the deviated septum won't cause OA as it doesn't block the airway but I'm sure that it would affect CPAP treatment by limiting the flow/pressure that can reach the blocked airway when breathing through the nose.

Also, has anyone had a septoplasty to repair a deviated septum and what effects have you seen on your CPAP therapy?

I really appreciate any feedback.

Thanks
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#2
RE: Deviated Septum and Sleep Apnea
On the one hand you say it doesn't block the airway and on the other hand you say it does.
If it isn't blocking the airway, you're probably fine. I have a deviated septum too and it is no problem for me - it doesn't block a thing.
If the deviated septum is blocking the airway, an ENT could fix it.
If you've had many sinus infections, there could be scar tissue which might be removed.
                                                                                                                          
Note: I'm an epidemiologist, not a medical provider. 
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#3
RE: Deviated Septum and Sleep Apnea
Many of us have done this.  Myself, I highly reccomend it.  I had to use BreatheRight strips before, now I can just use the mask.  It has improved the ease of my day time breathing too.  I can't say what effect that it has had on my therapy as I had it done two months after I started and things changed so much around that time.  My AHI did go down afterwards, but I can't say for certain why.  Bottom line: I would do it again.  The discomfort is fairly minimal after the first day.  The worst part was the very, very dry mouth for six hours after I came out of surgery.  Get a full face mask before your surgery so that you can continue therapy while you heal.
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#4
RE: Deviated Septum and Sleep Apnea
(02-19-2017, 11:53 AM)doickle Wrote: Hello,

As I am still in the early days of figuring out all of my sleep issues I have another question related to another health issue I have.

How can a deviated septum affect sleep apnea or CPAP therapy?

I know that the deviated septum won't cause OA as it doesn't block the airway but I'm sure that it would affect CPAP treatment by limiting the flow/pressure that can reach the blocked airway when breathing through the nose.

Also, has anyone had a septoplasty to repair a deviated septum and what effects have you seen on your CPAP therapy?

I really appreciate any feedback.

Thanks


Hi,

I had septoplasty and turbinate reduction done last month and and I have a mild case of upper airway resistance syndrome.  According to my ENT, if the septum is really deviated like mine was, it can make CPAP therapy harder.

So far, I don't regret at all having the surgery.  My breathing is much better and has improved my sleep tremendously.  Also, I can jog enough without feeling out of air and mouth breathing.  But each case has it's own quirks.  My ENT has recommended me a visit to an orthodontist.  I have yet to make an appointment as soon as I can find someone trustworthy.  I'm looking into functional orthodontics.  Nose and oral development go hand in hand.  There is a lot of information on a YouTube channel called Orthotropics.  Sometimes a deviated septum can result from a bad jaw growth.  If you are a mouth breather or have jaws badly developed, take your time to inform youself.  If I knew this before, perhaps I would have checked into this before having the septoplasty.  Good luck!
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#5
RE: Deviated Septum and Sleep Apnea
My deviated septum does cause a blockage but it is a constant blockage so is not the cause of my OSA.
I am mainly wondering if the deviated septum has a negative effect on my therapy by reducing the amount of pressure or slowing the reaction when my OSA occurs.

I am planning on getting the septoplasty in a few weeks which will also coincide with my 2 month CPAP anniversary. My hope is that things will improve once the entire airway is clear and my throat will see the full pressure from the machine.

During the septoplasty my ENT is also going to perform a procedure to determine what part of my nasal/throat anatomy is causing the OSA.
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#6
RE: Deviated Septum and Sleep Apnea
(02-19-2017, 04:37 PM)doickle Wrote: My deviated septum does cause a blockage but it is a constant blockage so is not the cause of my OSA.
I am mainly wondering if the deviated septum has a negative effect on my therapy by reducing the amount of pressure or slowing the reaction when my OSA occurs.

I am planning on getting the septoplasty in a few weeks which will also coincide with my 2 month CPAP anniversary. My hope is that things will improve once the entire airway is clear and my throat will see the full pressure from the machine.

During the septoplasty my ENT is also going to perform a procedure to determine what part of my nasal/throat anatomy is causing the OSA.

If your nose is constantly blocked, then you are mouth breathing.  If you have this issue since young age, then you most likely had a jaw growth problem like me.  I have rhinitis since a kid.
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#7
RE: Deviated Septum and Sleep Apnea
(02-19-2017, 04:56 PM)namealreadyregistered Wrote:
(02-19-2017, 04:37 PM)doickle Wrote: My deviated septum does cause a blockage but it is a constant blockage so is not the cause of my OSA.
I am mainly wondering if the deviated septum has a negative effect on my therapy by reducing the amount of pressure or slowing the reaction when my OSA occurs.

I am planning on getting the septoplasty in a few weeks which will also coincide with my 2 month CPAP anniversary. My hope is that things will improve once the entire airway is clear and my throat will see the full pressure from the machine.

During the septoplasty my ENT is also going to perform a procedure to determine what part of my nasal/throat anatomy is causing the OSA.

If your nose is constantly blocked, then you are mouth breathing.  If you have this issue since young age, then you most likely had a jaw growth problem like me.  I have rhinitis since a kid.

I had a sleep endoscopy done before my surgery.  It was pretty visible what happens during breathing.  Due to partial blockage in the nose, the extra supply of air came from mouth breathing during sleep.  The pressure of breathing intake sucked the neck muscles and tongue towards the airway.  The example my ENT gave me was like drinking something with a straw.  When you sip really strong, the cup will collapse with the vacuum.

(02-19-2017, 04:59 PM)namealreadyregistered Wrote:
(02-19-2017, 04:56 PM)namealreadyregistered Wrote:
(02-19-2017, 04:37 PM)doickle Wrote: My deviated septum does cause a blockage but it is a constant blockage so is not the cause of my OSA.
I am mainly wondering if the deviated septum has a negative effect on my therapy by reducing the amount of pressure or slowing the reaction when my OSA occurs.

I am planning on getting the septoplasty in a few weeks which will also coincide with my 2 month CPAP anniversary. My hope is that things will improve once the entire airway is clear and my throat will see the full pressure from the machine.

During the septoplasty my ENT is also going to perform a procedure to determine what part of my nasal/throat anatomy is causing the OSA.

If your nose is constantly blocked, then you are mouth breathing.  If you have this issue since young age, then you most likely had a jaw growth problem like me.  I have rhinitis since a kid.

I had a sleep endoscopy done before my surgery.  It was pretty visible what happens during breathing.  Due to partial blockage in the nose, the extra supply of air came from mouth breathing during sleep.  The pressure of breathing intake sucked the neck muscles and tongue towards the airway.  The example my ENT gave me was like drinking something with a straw.  When you sip really strong, the cup will collapse with the vacuum.

I meant straw, not cup (on the last phrase).
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#8
RE: Deviated Septum and Sleep Apnea
I have a deviated septum and my ENT and I have had several conversations about whether to have surgery or not. Right now, the answer is no surgery. It has not negatively impacted by CPAP treatment. I am consistently below 2.5 on my AHI (lower when you factor out the time I sleep on my back) and I feel well rested except on the mornings after the 4 legged kids decide to play queen of the mountain on top of "daddy" at 3 in the morning.

All in all, it is a discussion you need to have with your doctor and get multiple opinions as you should with any surgery.

Homer
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