11-26-2013, 09:05 PM
Newbie experience and questions
I cannot tell you how happy I am to find this site!!!
I started cpat a little over a year ago, and after a rough start, it has been good for me. I never felt fatigued and had a sleep study because my ankles were swollen and red. The vascular doc found no problem and the cardiologist said my heart was fine so the next step is to get a sleep study. I did not do it. A few months later a hematologist found my hemoglobin was dangerously high. He told me to give blood today and get a sleep test.
I am sure he explained it to me in medicine for dummy terms- but that is more than most Docs will do. Too much hemoglobin means your blood is too thick and you are in danger of a clout and stroke. With sleep apnea your body senses there is not enough oxygen in your blood and may think the problem is there is not enough blood. Your body makes more blood, your veins are thin walled, and after they stretch to capacitance they past some of the more liquid elements of your blood into your body through their walls. It happens in your ankles because that is where veins are most stressed trying to return blood uphill back to your heart. The sleep test will determine if you have sleep apnea, and many things can cause ankle swelling, but elevated hemoglobin narrows the possibilities. The above assumes I remember it right
My first sleep Doc did not believe this. My second Doc thought it sounded plausible. Has anyone else been told swollen ankles are the consequence of sleep apnea? BTW cpat reduced swelling dramatically but it has not disappeared. BTW-2 I did not realize I was sleep deprived before cpat and now I do.
I have another oddball issue . With a nasal mask periodically air blows out my tear duct. My pressure is at 15 and the mask was a Mirage FX. It happens on nights when I am not congested, starts later in the evening, and is always left eye only. It is unlike a typical leak in that it is a momentary puff and 2 to 20 seconds later another. I will admit I am not 1000% certain it is not a mask leak but I am certain it is at the corner of my left eye. A Fitlife mask solves the problem but leaks terribly. Anyone else have a tear duct issue?
I will have some questions regarding my 1-2 AHI coupled with a high leak rate but I need a few weeks of Sleepyhead data first. Very happy to find this place as my sleep docs were a disappointment.
I started cpat a little over a year ago, and after a rough start, it has been good for me. I never felt fatigued and had a sleep study because my ankles were swollen and red. The vascular doc found no problem and the cardiologist said my heart was fine so the next step is to get a sleep study. I did not do it. A few months later a hematologist found my hemoglobin was dangerously high. He told me to give blood today and get a sleep test.
I am sure he explained it to me in medicine for dummy terms- but that is more than most Docs will do. Too much hemoglobin means your blood is too thick and you are in danger of a clout and stroke. With sleep apnea your body senses there is not enough oxygen in your blood and may think the problem is there is not enough blood. Your body makes more blood, your veins are thin walled, and after they stretch to capacitance they past some of the more liquid elements of your blood into your body through their walls. It happens in your ankles because that is where veins are most stressed trying to return blood uphill back to your heart. The sleep test will determine if you have sleep apnea, and many things can cause ankle swelling, but elevated hemoglobin narrows the possibilities. The above assumes I remember it right
My first sleep Doc did not believe this. My second Doc thought it sounded plausible. Has anyone else been told swollen ankles are the consequence of sleep apnea? BTW cpat reduced swelling dramatically but it has not disappeared. BTW-2 I did not realize I was sleep deprived before cpat and now I do.
I have another oddball issue . With a nasal mask periodically air blows out my tear duct. My pressure is at 15 and the mask was a Mirage FX. It happens on nights when I am not congested, starts later in the evening, and is always left eye only. It is unlike a typical leak in that it is a momentary puff and 2 to 20 seconds later another. I will admit I am not 1000% certain it is not a mask leak but I am certain it is at the corner of my left eye. A Fitlife mask solves the problem but leaks terribly. Anyone else have a tear duct issue?
I will have some questions regarding my 1-2 AHI coupled with a high leak rate but I need a few weeks of Sleepyhead data first. Very happy to find this place as my sleep docs were a disappointment.
