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Is the cpap machine a life long thing? - Sleepless Nights - 08-15-2013
Do people with sleep apnea have to use the cpap machine for the rest of their lives, or do you get cured at a certain point where you don't need it anymore?
RE: Is the cpap machine a life long thing? - jettman96 - 08-15-2013
I'm no expert but from what I have researched it really depends on the person. some people could lose some weight and it may cure it (based on the idea that weight loss can lead to lower pressures).
That's just my $.02
RE: Is the cpap machine a life long thing? - b360155 - 08-15-2013
From my understanding, it's pretty much a lifelong thing. There are possible cures with surgical procedures but I've heard the recovery is quite painful and there are no guarantees that it'll cure sleep apnea. I've been on CPAP now for 2 years and it's now ingrained as part of my daily routine...seemed like the lesser of 2 evils by far.
RE: Is the cpap machine a life long thing? - Sleepless Nights - 08-15-2013
(08-15-2013, 12:25 PM)jettman96 Wrote: I'm no expert but from what I have researched it really depends on the person. some people could lose some weight and it may cure it (based on the idea that weight loss can lead to lower pressures).
That's just my $.02
That's good to hear. I need to lose a few pounds. Hopefully, if I'm lucky, that'll cure my sleep apnea too.
RE: Is the cpap machine a life long thing? - trish6hundred - 08-15-2013
Losing weight is a great thing, but skinny people have sleep apnea, as well.
RE: Is the cpap machine a life long thing? - RonWessels - 08-15-2013
There is currently no reliable cure for obstructive sleep apnea. Realistically, you should resign yourself to the fact that, with current technology, you are probably going to be on CPAP for the rest of your life. It sucks, but there it is.
Excess weight, particularly for men, does tend to mean that the various tissues in and around the throat tend to be somewhat more prone to flabbiness and therefore airway obstruction. There is a definite correlation between levels of excess weight and required treatment pressure for an individual (across individuals, not so much). And, in rare cases, weight loss will reduce the obstructive apnea to a point where CPAP treatment is no longer required. Similarly, there is a definite correlation between didgeridoo use and required treatment pressure.
Maybe you will be one of the lucky ones. But I wouldn't bet the mortgage.
RE: Is the cpap machine a life long thing? - zonk - 08-15-2013
Its possible to loose weight and be cured but got to be one of those people mild sleep apnea to start with and even sleep on their side if apnea is positional otherwise its a lifelong for most folk. Apnea is also to do with narrowed airways and crowded mouth plus other nasal obstructions
I would rather be on CPAP than on a wheelchair or some terminal disease ... should be grateful ... there is always people worse than me
RE: Is the cpap machine a life long thing? - PaulaO2 - 08-16-2013
Being in a wheelchair ain't so bad.
Saves on the cost of shoes!Losing weight as a "cure" depends on where the weight is. Obstructive sleep apnea is a throat thing. So unless you lose weight there, it's not going to help much. The best you can hope for is the weight loss means you can use a lower pressure.
If your sleep apnea is mild and is much lower AHI when on your side, then maybe it would work for you. Maybe not. Don't get your hopes up.
If I may offer advice, don't fight the CPAP. Accept it and move on. Until you do, you'll never be happy with it or with your sleep. Go ahead and lose the weight, your body will thank you. But don't set yourself up to fail. Set yourself up to succeed by accepting the CPAP and moving on.
RE: Is the cpap machine a life long thing? - OMyMyOHellYes - 08-16-2013
(08-15-2013, 11:59 AM)Sleepless Nights Wrote: Do people with sleep apnea have to use the cpap machine for the rest of their lives,
Probably.
(08-15-2013, 11:59 AM)Sleepless Nights Wrote: or do you get cured at a certain point where you don't need it anymore?
Probably not.
RE: Is the cpap machine a life long thing? - archangle - 08-22-2013
Consider it a lifetime thing.
Weight loss usually doesn't cure apnea. However, it may be worthwhile for other reasons.
There are several forms of surgery, but they usually don't work and have bad side effects. You often find you eventually need CPAP later anyway. Also, the surgeons may call a 50% reduction in apnea a "success," but you still need CPAP.
Be very careful about surgery. There are a lot of chop happy surgeons with delusions of grandeur and/or visions of dollars dancing in their heads.
Some of the newer, and more severe procedures that do things like rearrange your jaw may have a higher success rate, but they are very major surgery.
I have high hopes that some day they will develop some sort of micro robotic surgery or implant that is a good, permanent cure. It isn't there yet, and getting any of the current procedures might make it impossible to get the real cure once they find it.