The snoring bear: Part 3

You can read prior episodes of this story online at cdapress.com. Just search on “Snoring Bear.”

Well, the test results came in and he was told that he needed a thing called CPAP because he had obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). In order to find out what those things were and how they worked, he had to resort to the internet again. It’s funny, but up to this point the only source of information about the condition called OSA and the suggested treatment called CPAP was the internet — not a doctor.

And the patient found out that CPAP stands for Continuous Positive Air Pressure. It can be best described like a vacuum cleaner in reverse. The air blows out rather than being sucked in. It is kind of like putting the hose of the vacuum in your mouth, wrapping your lips around it, and pugging your nose. The air blows you up like a balloon, keeping your airway open while you try to sleep. Of course, it would be with the vacuum at a very, very low setting.

Does that sound like a great way to try to sleep?

Well, the patient gave CPAP a try. After all, the doctor said that CPAP is considered to be the gold standard for OSA treatment. It is 100 percent effective at keeping the airway open. BUT compliance (usage) is the “hidden” problem with CPAP therapy. Claustrophobia, skin irritation, nasal inflammation with a runny nose, congestion, nasal itch, sneezing, dry mouth, noise, and sleeping attached to a machine with a hose and mask are reasons patients are not compliant. Studies have shown compliance with CPAP is below 50 percent after two years. Some patients equate it with having an octopus on their face.

And even if the airway is wide open, many patients don’t get restful sleep because the mask and hose cause arousals from sleep and the patient doesn’t get into the 5 stages of sleep properly. When an arousal occurs for any reason, the patient goes back to stage 1 of the sleep cycle and may never get into rapid eye movement sleep (REM) where the immune system gets repaired.

There are roughly 125,000 CPAPs sold every month in the US. That means that each month, more than 60,000 patients who know they have OSA and have tried to sleep with a mask, have stopped treatment.

This translates to 720,000 patients per year stop treatment of OSA — a life threatening condition. And they don’t even know that other treatment options exist! They have never been told.

But like so many other medical conditions, there are options. We’ll discuss that next week.

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Dr. Donald Johnson founded Northwest Treatment Center for Snoring & Sleep Apnea in Coeur d’Alene to help patients stop their snoring and live free with no limits! Obstructive sleep apnea is usually able to be treated with a small oral appliance. Dr. Johnson’s office is at 114 W. Neider Ave., near Costco. The website for more information is www.NWSleepDoc.com and the office phone is (208) 667-4551. Schedule a free consultation appointment today!