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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Monday, March 15, 2010
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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Monday, March 15, 2010
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Sleep Disorders |
New problems possibly from sleep apnea?09/07/2006 |
I am a 38 yr old female. I was diagnosed with "mild" sleep apnea approx. 18 yrs ago (I was not overweight). I woke up next morning from sleep study thinking I had not lost breath, but I had lost it 35 times and the longest amount of time was like 1 min. 15 sec. I have pretty much just learned to cope with it. The dr. informed me that I would not die from it. For the past month, though, I have been experiencing new problems with my throat that I feel are related. Not to mention that I am sooooo tired and my memory is AWFUL(aren`t those attributed to s.a?) Anyway, when I yawn it makes me gag. Also, I am having spasms(I guess that`s what they would be considered) in my throat. I will be talking and all of a sudden I have to stop and take a deep breath because my throat feels as if it completely closing up. Another thing that I have noticed is that when sleeping I have woken up several times losing breath but it is accompanied with strangling. So I am coughing to keep the saliva up. I have not been to the dr about this since that first sleep study, but hopefully next week my visit to the neurologist will send me to the sleep center. What does this sound like to you and what sort of treatment does it sound like I will have to have? I had a barium swallow which showed no reflux and throat was fine. One dr. ran the light from nose to throat and only saw some redness. Thanks for your help.
There are two parts to your question. The first concerns about your "mild" sleep apnea. The fact that you are tired and having memory problems associated with the history of having had sleep apnea in the past, suggest that an evaluation by a repeat sleep study should be highly considered, particularly if you are a habitual snorer. It is possible that your sleep apnea has progressed in the past 18 years, and therefore specific treatment for sleep apnea may be needed, if present. Factors, such as weight gain, will tend to make sleep apnea worse.
The throat spasms during periods of wakefulness likely is a separate issue because sleep apnea happens only during sleep. I am very glad that you are being seen by a throat specialist (the doctor that ran light through your nose and throat). Together with your primary care physician, I am sure that they will find out the cause of your throat spasms, that happens when you are awake. Conditions such as vocal cord dysfunction and gastroesophageal reflux disease likely have been considered; though your throat specialist should be able to tell you whether this is the reason for these episodes.
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Ulysses J. Magalang, MD Medical Director, Sleep Disorders Center Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine Department of Internal Medicine College of Medicine The Ohio State University |
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