When I first learn about a disease, plague or virus, I just assume my death is mere days away.
This feeling often passes, and I frequently survive the ordeal.
But sleep apnea – a disorder in which a person’s breathing stops during sleep – was different. I exhibited virtually every symptom. Honest.
And since sleep apnea is as common as adult diabetes, affecting more than 12 million Americans, according to the National Institutes of Health, why not me?
Apnea, the cessation of breathing for 10 seconds or more, is derived from the Greek word meaning “without breath.” It sounds scary, and it is.
My wife tells me I’d been snoring, gasping for breath in the middle of night, proving that even unconscious I can be a nuisance. Moreover, I’d been waking up with debilitating headaches, often feeling as if I hadn’t had a night of restorative sleep in a decade.
Some basic online research also revealed that untreated sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, memory problems, weight gain and even impotency.
Well, let’s just say there was no need for me to read any further. I contacted a doctor tout de suite.
Dr. Richard O’Brien of Denver, who specializes in pulmonary and sleep disorders, listened patiently to my situation and recommended that I take a sleep test.
The examination was performed in an Aurora office building. I spent the night with a courteous technician who hooked me up to approximately two-dozen sensors – using some sort of glue to keep the pads attached to my head. She clicked wires into another gadget that I carried with me, and finally, she stuck a wiry gauge under my nose.
She then let me know a video camera was watching, and offered this: “Try and get some sleep.”
At this point, I was so convinced sleep apnea was ruining my life that I dozed off, seemingly hours later, wondering if a CPAP machine – a breathing device that delivers pressurized air for continuous breathing – was covered by my health insurance.
A couple of days after my test, Dr. O’Brien let me know I displayed some mild symptoms of apnea but nothing a couple of lifestyle alterations couldn’t fix.
In a follow-up letter detailing the specifics of the test, Dr. O’Brien explained, without insulting me, that in truth, losing 5-10 pounds wouldn’t hurt.
Scott Law, who analyzes sleep studies and other data for Dr. O’Brien in a Lone Tree location, went through a similar ordeal with very different results.
“Obviously, it was a little easier for me to diagnose the problem working in the field I’m in … but even I was in denial for a while,” Law said. “My sleep was essentially unrestorative. I was finding daytime fatigue setting in 2, 3, 4 o’clock in the afternoon. I really wanted to sleep. I was having trouble driving and staying awake. I was gaining some weight at the same time. These are very common symptoms. From that point on, my girlfriend started recognizing the snoring.”
Snoring – in conjunction with your significant other – seems to be the best warning device for potential sleep apnea problems.
“Typically what happens is that a spouse (or) significant other recognize something’s wrong,” Law said. “They see someone gasping at night, and that is the initial recognition. Then the person will start realizing other symptoms, like constant fatigue. They sleep 8, 9, 10 hours, and they never feel rested. They have headaches all the time. They typically have a lack of attention to details and some memory issues.”
Law said that those who do finally begin treatment with a CPAP show remarkable gains. He has lost some weight and found renewed energy.
There’ll be no CPAP for me. I’m a hypochondriac. But sleep apnea may be something for you to look into.
(For more information, go to sleepapneainfo.com, where you can take a sleep apnea quiz.)
David Harsanyi’s column appears Monday and Thursday. He can be reached at 303-820-1255 or dharsanyi@denverpost.com.
