Is it normal for someone to be this tired? Sleep apnea?!
Question: Is it normal for someone to be this tired!? Sleep apnea!?
I think my father has sleep apnea!. When he sleeps, he snores so loudly that I swear he wakes himself every 15 minutes or so!. Sometimes the snoring stops abruptly and I feel like he's not breathing or choking or something!. What really bothers me is that he is ALWAYS tired!. As soon as he comes home from work (3, 4pm) he's on the couch snoring away!. He gets up to eat, then goes back to snoring on the couch!. Then around 10 or 11pm he'll wake up and say "Jeez! It's late! I gotta go to bed!" and I just laugh at him because he's been asleep on and off since he got home from work!. This happens on a daily basis!. Bring him to a movie theatre!? Automatically asleep!.
Does this sound normal at all!? He swears up and down that all his friends at work say they're the same way, but that has to be bullshit!. To make matters worse, every time I say, "Dad, I don't think your sleeping patterns are normal!. Maybe you should ask a doctor!." he gets offended and/or changes the subject!.
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Does this sound normal at all!? He swears up and down that all his friends at work say they're the same way, but that has to be bullshit!. To make matters worse, every time I say, "Dad, I don't think your sleeping patterns are normal!. Maybe you should ask a doctor!." he gets offended and/or changes the subject!.
Feedback!? Thanks!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Answers:
You are giving a classical description of obstructive sleep apnea!. This is a potentially life-threatening disorder, a cause in some cases of sudden death!. You are doing yourself and your father a fovor by trying to get him to see a doctor!.
If you have to go through a primary care physician, he can refer your father to a sleep study center!.
If you do not have to go through your primary care physician, go directly to a board-certified sleep disorders specialist -- there are over 300 such specialists in the US who are board-certified!. Other physicians who treat sleep apnea include pulmonologists, neurologists and ENT specialists!.
One word of caution, though, about consulting an ENT specialist -- they often treat sleep apnea surgically!. Avoid surgical procedures for treatment of this condition -- many ENT specialists treat obstructive sleep apnea by surgically cutting away a portion of the soft palate, but this does not treat the real problem!.
The underlying, or real problem, is that some portion of the major airways is oval, rather than round, and the weakened cartilages that normally hold these airways open cannot hold the airway open!. When the airway collapses, as it does from time to time, the afflicted individual cannot breathe, and can be seen to be fighting to get a breath!. If the airways do not open in time, there can be brain damage or even death -- the sudden death that occurs in sleep apnea occurs via this mechanism!.
The best treatment of this disorder is with a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) that holds the airways open, so that they do not collapse!. Persons using CPAP machines must wear a mask at night that covers the nose and mouth!.
An alternative machine recommended by some specialists is a BiPAP machine, but the principle of operation is the same!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
If you have to go through a primary care physician, he can refer your father to a sleep study center!.
If you do not have to go through your primary care physician, go directly to a board-certified sleep disorders specialist -- there are over 300 such specialists in the US who are board-certified!. Other physicians who treat sleep apnea include pulmonologists, neurologists and ENT specialists!.
One word of caution, though, about consulting an ENT specialist -- they often treat sleep apnea surgically!. Avoid surgical procedures for treatment of this condition -- many ENT specialists treat obstructive sleep apnea by surgically cutting away a portion of the soft palate, but this does not treat the real problem!.
The underlying, or real problem, is that some portion of the major airways is oval, rather than round, and the weakened cartilages that normally hold these airways open cannot hold the airway open!. When the airway collapses, as it does from time to time, the afflicted individual cannot breathe, and can be seen to be fighting to get a breath!. If the airways do not open in time, there can be brain damage or even death -- the sudden death that occurs in sleep apnea occurs via this mechanism!.
The best treatment of this disorder is with a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) that holds the airways open, so that they do not collapse!. Persons using CPAP machines must wear a mask at night that covers the nose and mouth!.
An alternative machine recommended by some specialists is a BiPAP machine, but the principle of operation is the same!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
yes, he probably did get apnea!. Read this, it helps you understand what it is and it cause a lkot of damaghttp://www!.helpguide!.org/life/sleep_apne!.!.!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
sleep apnea!.!.!.i definitely think that!.!.!.!.he really should see a doctor because people can actually die from it!. it can be serious!.!.!.especially if he's overweight at all!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Please talk your dad into seeing his doctor!. My husband has this same condition and it took him hitting a tree twice (falling asleep at the wheel) for him to see a doctor!. The diagnosis was sleep apnea, he now sleeps with a CPAP!. The last time was pretty bad, the truck went up in flames and luckily he was already on our street so the people knew him and pulled him out the back glass window (if he had not had that window, he would not have made it!. Explain to your father that this is a very dangerous condition to have!. It only takes a second to fall totally fall asleep at the wheel!.Www@Answer-Health@Com