Diagnosed with SA 70AHI

[Newbie2024]

Hello Everyone,

I am new to this forum and loved reading successful stories. My life has changed after I was diagnosed with Sleep Apnea a few days ago. I have so many questions but would like help on a few things. I had no health issues, I am 40 year old, my BMI is 23 and I had never had any heart problems or any health issues. I only found out my sleep apnea because I went to a nose doctor and told him that I was drowsy while i was driving. I went to the nose specialist because of sinus issues that I was having for the past five six years but I always thought it was because of my smoking which i quit many years ago. He told me I should go for a sleep study and after my results came in the sleep specialist told me that my AHI is really high at  70 which is extreme and I should get on CPAP immediately, I am at a high risk of heart disease diabetes etc. This was devastating for me as I never though something so life changing could happen to me.  The idea of wearing something at night is going to be life changing but I am ready to make the changes to help me live longer and to raise my son. It will be devastating for my 10 year old if he loses his second parent as well. Here are a few questions

1.  Do I need to get any medical test for my heart disease. I am going to see my family doctor for an annual check up, should I go for ECG test or any other test to see if my heart has been impacted. 

2. I am in Canada and my work covers for CPAP machine as well as mask and other stuff. I would like to get something top of the line that will make less noise, provides excellent data and easy to use. Any recommendations?

3. My concern is 70 AHI. After wearing CPAP does that go lower ? Should I be now looking at a lower life expectancy of 50 or 55? Anyone here that has been diagnosed with such severe apnea

Sorry for such a long post but I would appreciate any insight and thanks again everyone!

[HalfAsleep]

I’m waving a welcome!

Some of the wave is telling you to slow down a bit and catch your breath. Good sleep (i.e. without apnea) might indeed be more life changing for you than being diagnosed with sleep apnea, which seems to be making you quite anxious.

You are moving towards health, not towards the abyss. Indeed, you might find your body feels much happier going forward, and never realized how good it could feel! Even if you assess yourself in super-state now, you might be surprised what happens if you’re breathing smoothly at night, get more night-time nourishing to refuel for your days, and get some real rest.

Just think, your son might have a bonanza with a sleep-refreshed you!

I would check in with your PCP about whether to consult with a heart specialist because you’re curious and unsure about that piece of your health, not because you inevitably have a heart condition since you have sleep apnea. Nothing is inevitable in the sleep apnea diagnosis universe, as far as I can tell.

The data goal of apnea treatment is to reduce AHI.

I would find some recent peer-reviewed research on the profile of folks who have sleep apnea. Recent research says the stereotype of “older obese male” is outdated. Indeed, many women have sleep apnea, that's how off-base the stereotype is.

I would binge-read threads on this board to get an idea about how different folks think about their treatment, condition, and paraphernalia management. I also like LankyLefty on YT: IMO he’s high-quality and fun. You could start with some of his beginner threads.

You’ll want a machine that allows input to a data card. If you look at the CPAP’s most folks on this board have these days (look to the info under their names), the bulk are Resmed Airsense 10 or 11. There are Resmed Aircurves for specialized conditions, but when you first begin, that’s up to your doc.

That’s it for now! You’ve got this! And there are plenty of folks here to help get that AHI down.

[BoxcarPete]

Take a deep breath and consider the way medical research works. They look at all the people with and without heart problems that have OSA, and all the people with and without heart problems who don't have OSA, and calculate that OSA makes you twice or three times more likely to have heart problems. OK, great, we've identified a risk factor.

Now, consider your age and overall health and look at your current risk for heart problems. Pretty close to nothing, or so you thought, right? Great, now double or triple that. Still not something to freak out over. Get a handle on this now and you will enjoy the standard grade risk for heart disease going forward, rather than the accelerated risk of someone with OSA, which becomes a much bigger deal when you get into your sixties and have other risk factors compounding it.

There are plenty of people with AHI over 60 who strap on a mask and go instantly below 5 or even below 1 sometimes. It's a highly effective treatment for a lot of people, and there are people who struggle with it. We hope to help get you from that second group into the first if you have problems adjusting; it's very common for some growing pains to be present at first.

Most of all, stop dooming! There are lots of things that can be done to improve your sleep and keep your health solid.

[Dormeo]

You've gotten some great advice already in this thread. About what machine you should get: do you know the breakdown of your AHI? That would be a breakdown into obstructive apnea events, central apnea events, and hypopneas. If you don't know, please call the office of the sleep doctor to find out. Ideally they'll give you a copy of your sleep study report. Ask for one.

The reason I ask about the breakdown is that what machine will work best for you may depend on what the breakdown is.

It's great that you're addressing your apnea in your 40s. Once you start getting effective treatment, you'll feel better day to day and reduce your long-term risks for several serious health conditions.

Oh, and by the way: many people with much higher AHIs than yours are able to see their AHIs plummet to 1 or 2.

[HalfAsleep]

@Newbie2024....

Are you feeling more comfortable with the idea of CPAP in your life and more open to the positives?

[Newbie2024]

I really appreciate the advise and the encouragement. I have an appointment with my PCP today, we are going to discuss the results plus will ask him to do ECG and other heart related test.

I would also go with Resmed Airsense 10 but I have an appointment with a CPAP specialist today. I think she will make me try different mask and provide answers to my questions.

[Newbie2024]

This is great analysis and how you have described the overall risk of heart disease. Thankfully no heart disease in my family and I have always maintained a healthy life style.

I will definitely take some test and monitor my overall health. It is really funny how I never knew about sleep apnea and now when I know I have it.. all the sypmtoms of drowziness are with me during the whole day. I know it will get better once I am on the Cpap treatment.   I think my body got used to working with less sleep.

Best of luck with your journey as well. This forum is really helpful for people to connect and ask questions without being judged

[Newbie2024]

Thanks for the advise, I have a appointment with a CPAP consultant but I love the idea of having the results. I was diagnosed with obstructive apnea events. I have been monitoring my sleep through apple watch, it is weird that positioning of the pillow and having a humidifier provides me more deep sleep versus other. On my apple watch, I am consistently getting 8 hours of sleep but no or very short interval of deep sleep. The sleep specialist told me that I will see more deep sleep/restorative sleep when I start using cpap

[BoxcarPete]

Yes, positions make a big difference in how your airway blockage forms. Both overall body position and things like head/neck alignment or chin tucking can matter, depending on the exact nature of what is causing the obstruction. Once you have your CPAP, it's very useful to download OSCAR from the banner link at the top of the site. It will give you a wealth of information about your sleep above and beyond what Apple Watch or other wearables can provide.

[Newbie2024]

Hi,

The question is complicated as I am still going through various challenges. I think it will be easier to make an informed decision, once I read through more research and read more on this forum and interact with people with sleep apnea. We have a publicly paid health system in Canada and I feel all the doctors are on a tight time line and want to see more and more patients as they are paid per patient and not by kind of treatment they are providing. The sleep specialist that I spoke too told me I have no options but to wear a CPAP machine. I told him that I used to be  smoker, so I had sinuses for past seven years even after I quit smoking. I was seeing a nose specialist who was helping me getting rid of sinus issues. He told me sleep apnea has nothing to do with nasal congestion. He said there are no other treatments just because of the higher AHI. He could be right but I am thinking that why did I start having these symptoms only a few weeks ago. I am thinking there might be benefits of a cpap machine. What about the side effects on lungs? I am also discouraged that I have to wear something every night for next 40-45 years every night and the maintenance of equipment that comes with it.  I dont think cure should be painful than the disease lol! Also how can you tell someone to carry a CPAP machine for rest of the life. From what I understand this disease stays with you and you will never recover. My game plan for the next few months 

1. See a sleep consultant and get a cpap machine
2. See my family doctor get all the heart test and all other test done to see over all health and any damage done by sleep apena
3. Continue to wear my apple watch. I am consistently getting eight hour of sleep without cpap but no or very little deep sleep. Does my deep sleep improve
4. Continue to read research done on sleep apnea and learn the side effects of wearing CPAP for 20-30-40 years. If anyone can point out to any study done on patients wearing CPAP machine for 20-30 years that will be great
5. Have another sleep study done in 2 months
6. Monitor the overall benefit of CPAP 
7. Get a surgery to get rid of sinus issue. 
8. Continue to engage with my family doctor of alternatives. I don't mind traveling to Turkey, India, China if there are studies done that they found treatment to reduce sleep apnea through surgeries or others. As I said, I find the Canadian health care to be great or worst on type of luck you have. Sometimes you would find amazing doctors and sometimes you will find doctors that just want to see more and more patients as they are paid by per patient and not by the treatment they are providing. 

Thanks and apologize for a long answer!