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You struggle to sleep through the night ....you feel tired all the time...you fall asleep and someone tells you that your snoring is loud with periods of gasping...you may have sleep apnea but there's a hitch. Some people with sleep apnea - have it when they sleep on their back; when they shift to sleeping on their left or right side, the abnormal breathing and snoring resolves. Experts have found that 15% of mild sleep apnea patients (5 - 15 events/hr) and 20% of moderate sleep apnea patients (15-30 events/hour) have positional apnea. A device called the Zzoma may help them.
The Zzoma is a device worn around the chest, like a belt, with a device on the back that is firm and made out of foam and discourages them (because it's uncomfortable) from lying on their back. The device helps to reduce the apnea episodes (associated with positional sleep apnea) because the patient will sleep for most of the night on one side or the other side. Patients who are given the choice seem to prefer it to the traditional CPAP machine which involves wearing a face mask and hearing a machine all night long (though it is a very effective treatment if tolerated).
My grandfather used to wear a tennis ball in a pocket that my grandmother sewed on the back of his PJ tops. I am sure he had sleep apnea and grandma used an old fashioned solution. Who knew Grams was a budding scientist???
I have horrible sleep apnea. After taking the sleep study test in the overnight office 2 times, the report had been sent to my Doctor and he told me that I am the worst case of Sleep Apnea the study Doctor or himself have ever scene. I was not proud of that, believe me. They both said the case I have is very dngerous and thangs need to be done ASAP. My O2 levels had gone to below 50% I should have died countless timesat night. Needless to say the CPAP machine came to my home in 2 days. The problem is a hate the thing! I have a real hard time falling to sleep laying on my back, and that is the only way anyone can fall a sleep wearing that mask!!! the listening to all that noise all night. Yes, after waking up in the morning, I feel so much better after getting a full 9 hours of sleep because I did not wake myself up 75 times during the night choking myself to dealth. But, as great as the machine is, I really have a hard time wearting it, so most of the time I dont. I tell my Doctor I do, but I dont. I can remeber before even having a clue on the Sleep Apnea stuff, I'd wake up sometimes on the brink of death because the only reason I had been woken up was because I had sufficated almost to death. 2 times, I really thought I a going to die! Because no matter what I did to get my breath back, I almost did not catch my breath. If you could hear me, you would think I have something in my windpipe just cutting the windpipe off, and it cant be opened. I just hope it does not happen any more. I never had this problem until I got fat, very fat! Not discusting, but for a man that had been a Fireifghter/paramedic, being in the gym 6 days a week because I need to stay in shape being a firefighter, but then I crushed my back, and have had 4 back surveys, and cant work again. I cant lift any type of weights, or be in the gym, because Im going to do more damage. But, The other type of damage I have done is getting fat, and having all these other medical problems on top of the back. After getting fat, a could not sleep normal and I had no idea of th reason. I started to complain to my Doctor that I cant sleep, my BP has gone up, gaining more weight, and just do not feel good ever! Plus, im always tired! That is when I had the sleep study completed. And after that found out the reason I cant sleep. I have Sleep Apnea! I have no doubt in y mind that THE ONLY REASON I HAVE THIS MEDICAL PROBELM IS BECAUSE I HAVE BECOME A FAT PIG!!!! OBESE. NO OTHER REASON. Dont let anyone kid you if you have it, that is the reason, because you have gotten bigger. I can tell you this, the best night of sleep I have ever gotten where the nights I had to go in and get the sleeptest done. I slept like a rock having that machine on my face and putting the possitive preasure open the objest in my air pipe that closes. I did not want to get up after they had woken me for the end of the study and to go home. I felt like I had not slept like that for 20 years and I really hope this goes away after I lose some more weight. See, the last time I had been in the hospital was last month. Being in there I found out I have type 2 Diabetes. OH YEAH, lots of fun. Just the thing I needed to hear. The hreat thing is it is not that bad, and if I stop drinking as much soda as I do, then that is going to take the pounds of and I might not need to do a thing. Lets put it this way, I stopped drinking regular soda that day at that moment, I have always hated Diet anything, and diet soda, the aftertaste and they never taste the same. But I had been totally incorrect. I have tried about 10 different diet sodas and love a bunch of them. And I have lost over the weight my nurse said I'd lose cutting the soda out. I have lost a total of 38 lbs in just over 6 weeks, and that is the only thing I cut out. Ice cream is still on the menu, candy, all the stuff they told me that is it, but said no possible way. And so far, so good. I check my sugar 4 times per day. and the readings are great!!!! Im supposed to be on this medication that stops the liver from making the suger but found out I dont need it so I dont take it. But here is the reason I have wrote this comment, so other people can see they are not alone having this sleep apnea. Just see if you can take of some extra LBS if you are over your weight, and I tell you this, you are going to get better. Another reason I have sent this comment in isbecause I love the idea the older lady had for her husband, she put the tennis ball in his front shirt pocket before bedtime, and also put on in th back area so he does not sleep on his back or front. And that is the best idea I have heard. Instead of the medical people coming out with some new devise for this problems that is going to cost $500, here you can take care of the problem putting a tennis ball in the front and the back so you dont sleep on either side. That is great and it is going to save people some bigtime money. I love ideas like that, and it happened propbaby 35 years ago. Imagine that!!!!! Ok, im done, have a great day or night.
Christopher, it sure sounds like you've gone through so much these past few years. Let me clear up one myth about losing weight and curing apnea. Losing weight may help reduce the apnea and can cause a pressure reduction in the CPAP machine, but it rarely "cures" apnea. Most sufferers continue to use CPAP despite losing weight. Also, there are many thin people who have apnea. I've had apnea for over 20 years and I was only 175 pounds at 6'2".
The article from Healthgal spoke about using a tennis ball or the other device to help people with slight to moderate apnea. If your apnea is as bad as your doctor thinks it is, these things will not replace a CPAP machine. I highly recommend you use your machine as prescribed.
There is a great website for newly diagnosed apnea sufferers. It is: www.apneasupport.org. There are hundreds of fellow sufferers who can give you advice on how to get used to your mask and all sorts of tricks to help become compliant. Take care and good luck!