How old are you when first diagnosed?

[Dreamcatcher]

Where are all the children? It seems that this is an Adult condition as you dont here of many children with this? Not sure about the states?

[greatunclebill]

Where are all the children? It seems that this is an Adult condition as you dont here of many children with this? Not sure about the states?

OVERVIEW OF PEDIATRIC SLEEP APNEA SURGERY
Kasey K. Li, MD, DDS, FACS
INTRODUCTION
Obstructive sleep apnea was first described in children in 1976 by Guilleminault.1 The prevalence of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea has been estimated to be between 1% to 3% in preschool and school-aged children. 2 More recently, the estimated pediatric obstructive sleep apnea prevalence has increased due to better monitoring techniques during polysomnography (PSG). 3 However, definitive data are still lacking. Although medical treatment such as nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) can be successful in treating pediatric obstructive sleep apnea and nasal steroid sprays can be effective in reducing the severity of OSA in children with allergic rhinitis, most investigators would agree that these approaches are not the ideal long-term treatment for pediatric obstructive sleep apnea. Today, surgery remains as the first-line treatment, and adenotonsillectomy (T&A) is the most commonly performed surgical procedure for the treatment of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea.

THE PEDIATRIC OSA AIRWAY
In order to understand how T&A can impact OSA in children, one must understand how the airway is affected in pediatric obstructive sleep apnea. It has been demonstrated that the airway is smaller in children with obstructive sleep apnea compared to controls. The adenoid and tonsils are larger and the airway is most restricted where adenoid and tonsils overlap. In addition, a significant correlation between percent difference of the combined adenoid and tonsils volume and the apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) is found. The adenoid and tonsils clearly play an important role in contributing to obstructive sleep apnea in children. Indeed, the disorder is most common between 2 to 6 years of age and correlates to the age of lymphoid hyperplasia during childhood.

WHY SHOULD WE TREAT PEDIATRIC SLEEP APNEA
It is clear that children with obstructive sleep apnea have associated morbidities. The cardiovascular risks due to obstructive sleep apnea are clearly demonstrated in adults with obstructive sleep apnea. Although there are less data on cardiovascular morbidities in children with obstructive sleep apnea, the existing evidence cannot be ignored. Children with obstructive sleep apnea have been shown to have an increased risk in developing systemic hypertension as well as right ventricular dysfunction due to elevated pulmonary arterial pressure. Children with obstructive sleep apnea also have a higher risk of failure to thrive and impairment of growth development. Evidence suggests that growth hormone secretion is impaired, thus affecting growth.
The most extensive evidence on the impairment of obstructive sleep apnea in children is the neurocognitive and behavioral consequences. Although the hallmark of excessive daytime sleepiness seen in adults does not appear to be the major symptom in children, behavior problems including hyperactivityinattention, aggression, sleepwalking and night terrors as well as impaired learning and diminished academic performance are the common symptoms.

[zonk]

Where are all the children? It seems that this is an Adult condition as you dont here of many children with this? Not sure about the states?

Here is an old thread from old forum
sleep apnea - infants

http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-...ea-infants

[Netskier]

Where are all the children? It seems that this is an Adult condition as you dont here of many children with this? Not sure about the states?

Here is an old thread from old forum
sleep apnea - infants

http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-...ea-infants

The short answer is that they died from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

We could call OSA-caused adult-deaths Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (SADS), but we don't. SADS is caused by aging, loss of airway fitness, asthma, allergies, hereditary predisposition, mercury dental fillings, drug and/or alcohol effects, and their various interactions, and probably other environmental toxicities, particularly heavy metals and pesticides, plus other factors still to be discovered. Radiation from Fukushima will likely increase SADS worldwide too, since radiation accelerates aging.

[hippipdip]

Just diagnosed recently a few weeks shy of my 31st birthday. Took my symptoms to countless doctors who prescribed anything from vitamins to antidepressants and told me to lose weight, which when I did lose weight didn't really help me sleep and I would put it back on over time..
Haven't gotten official results from my study yet, though the machine has been delivered and I felt pretty much instant results. No more hitting the snooze button over and over unable to drag myself out of bed.

Feels like I've had it for the past 10 years at least.

[TennDan]

I was having an annual physical...the day before my 40th birthday, complaining about the usual....and there was a new symptom...my BP was even more elevated than 'normal'. Out of the blue...doc suggests a sleep study. Odd... I think I sleep fine...its the staying awake that I'm having trouble with.

Had the sleep study on December 1st, knew I failed...because they woke me to put a mask on, and I felt good different after that part. But, didn't get a letter from my doctor of results until December 27th. I got appointment to see him on the December 29th, and started CPAP that night. Only interruption was a couple weeks in January when I got an MRSA infection of my nose bridge sore. Doc didn't want it getting into my sinuses. I've been 100% compliant otherwise.... Though I wish I had software that could combine the data from my two different machines into a single report....

It was good that I got it then....because it was the last few days where my insurance would pay 90% of the cost....

The Dreamer.

One year I went for a physical and I mentioned that my wife said I had sleep apnea. The doctor said if you will loose that belly you won't have any problem with that. Of course I never lost the belly. Unfortunately I'm also diabetic and fortunately my health insurance started a program that if I'd see a nurse practitioner every quarter, they pick up 100% of my meds and supplies. Considering one drug alone was costing me $50 a month, I thought that was a good deal.

So several years later on one of these quarterly visits, with a nurse practitioner I had not seen before, asked all the right questions and off to a sleep doctor I went kicking and screaming. Since then I consumed every bit of information I could find about sleep or lack of it and made a 180 degree turn around. After saying I could NEVER wear one of THOSE THINGS (and that was in my file sent to the sleep doctor), I'm gung-ho and into this. I even wear the Zeo Sleep Manager along with my nasal mask. :grin:

[sleepinginschool]

Diagnosed with severe obstructive when I was 16, now 17. Proooobably won't have a machine until sometime near the end of summer (if I do need one) as I am having surgery but there's only a 40% chance of reduction in severity apparently...

[zonk]

Diagnosed with severe obstructive when I was 16, now 17. Proooobably won't have a machine until sometime near the end of summer (if I do need one) as I am having surgery but there's only a 40% chance of reduction in severity apparently...

Hi sleepinginschool
The good thing you have been diagnosed at your age as most of us took years before been diagnosed.
Unfortunately surgery is not reversible and as you have found out there is no guarantee that you wont be needing CPAP after the surgery.
I think you've to approach CPAP therapy with an open mind do understand your concern being very young and might turn off family and friends it,s normal to feel that way but really there is nothing to worry or embarrassed about.
By using CPAP, you,re taking control of your health and making a positive choice for your future and wellbeing....Good luck

[Surly]

Diagnosed back on 22/4/2002 at age 34.

At diagnosis, the figures I were given were as follows:

Without CPAP
Apnea's = 114/Hr
Lowest O2 = 76%
Awakenings = 114/Hr

With CPAP (17cm)
Apnea's = 0
Lowest O2 = 95%
Awakenings = 3/Hr

Apart from purchasing and using a CPAP device, foolishly, I never bothered with any post diagnosis follow-up until almost 10 years later. I guess I'll find out how well things are going early next month when I take my machine's data card off to the Specialist.

[Ozone]

49 years old. I was diagnosed like many of us only after being told that I stopped breathing while I was sleeping. Most significantly for me, this was only after the heart attack and coronary artery bypass surgery, long after the hypertension and coronary artery disease diagnoses, the metabolic disorder diagnosis, depression prescription, weight fluctuation, etc. etc. I won't jump to the conclusion that OSA caused all this, as I well understand the distinction between "associated with" and "causes." I do wonder why no one ever talked with me about apnea; guys my age shouldn't be going through all of this crap. I now realize that I have been struggling with the symptoms of OSA most of my life.

Hi, all, lurker for a while but first time poster. I'm not really this bitter. Really. /rant off