Head Cold

“Envy is as persistent as memory, as intractable as a head cold.”-Harry Stein

I’ve had a CPAP machine for sleep apnea for two weeks now and am experiencing my first head cold with the machine. The congestion quickly went into my ear canals and I’m hoping it won’t develop into a full scale sinus infection.

Opinion on the internet is mixed regarding CPAP and head colds. The American Sleep Apnea Association says CPAP should be discontinued during a sinus infection. But how does one know when the line is crossed from normal congestion to sinus infection? Some apnea patients stop using the machine during colds but admit that their sleep suffers and lack of sleep weakens the body that needs to heal. Others switch to a full face mask just for colds and crank up the humidifier on the machine to loosen up the mucus. For some this works miracles.

I slept without the machine last night - my wife noticed the snoring had returned. I think I’ll try the full mask tonight if my ears feel less blocked by then.

Bottom Line

The National Institutes of Health, and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has a list to help distinguish a common cold, from the flu and from a sinus infection…

Cold Symptoms
Slow onset.
No prostration.
Fever Headache is rare.
Runny nose, Sneezing.
Mild Fatigue.
Cough, chest discomfort.
Sore Throat.

Flu Symptoms
Swift, severe onset.
Prominent Prostration.
Flushed, hot moist skin.
102-104 degree temp.
Chills, body aches.
Extreme fatigue,
can last 2-3 weeks.
Cough, sore throat.

Sinus Infection Symptoms
Facial pains.
Tenderness of the sinus areas.
Headaches.
Nasal drainage that is thick and colored.
Cough (may be itchy).
Postnasal drip.
Bad breath.
Upper jaw pain.
Sore throat.
Eyes are sensitive to light.
General fatigue.
Eye lids swell.

Resources:
http://www.sleepapnea.org/resources/pubs/wrong.html
http://www.seanet.com/~raines/compendium.html

Throat Exercises for Sleep Apnea

“Laugh and the world laughs with you, snore and you sleep alone.”- Anthony Burgess
Last week I received a CPAP machine for Sleep Apnea. I think it’s helping but I’m still adjusting to the mask and won’t know for sure for several more days. However a CPAP machine does not cure Sleep Apnea – it just prevents it while you use the machine. So now I’m dependent on this machine for life. It even came in a nice looking carrying case so I can take it with me on vacations and other overnight trips.
Personally I prefer a cure. There is some evidence that throat exercise can reduce Sleep Apnea by making the throat stronger and more resistant to closing while sleeping. The most effective way to strengthen the throat is to exercise it like a professional singer. Here are some throat exercises I found on the Web:
1. Say La-La-La-La five times over. Hold each “La” for three seconds and focus on working your throat and neck muscles. Then say Ka-Ka-Ka-Ka five times with three seconds on each syllable. The ‘K’ uses different muscles. Finish with the same routine saying Ma-Ma-Ma-Ma. Try these exercises twice a day.
2. Sing through the vowel sounds (A-E-I-O-U) as loudly as you can (or dare). Songs like ‘Old McDonald Had a Farm’ are also good.
3. Push your tongue firmly against the back of your front teeth and slide it to the back of your mouth. Repeat for three minutes.
4. Purse your mouth firmly as if playing a trumpet or blowing into a bottle and hold for thirty seconds.
5. Act like a bullfrog and contract the muscles of the back of the throat for another thirty seconds.
6. Force your lower jaw to the left for thirty seconds. Now back to the right for thirty seconds.
Bottom Line
These same exercises can also reduce snoring.
Web Resources
http://www.ehow.com/how_5178372_do-exercises-sleep-apnea-treatment.html
http://cloudhiddenwheraboutsmukilteo.blogspot.com/2005/08/sleep-apnea-exercises-for-throat-and.html

Sleep Apnea

Whenever I want you, all I have to do is dream – song lyrics by the Everly Brothers

A coworker was operated on last week in an attempt to correct his Sleep Apnea, a sleep disorder characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep of ten seconds or more. Each episode of missed breaths is called an apnea. Sometimes Apnea is obvious – a friend tells us her husband will stop breathing for noticeably long periods when asleep; and then restarts with a snort. Sometimes the Apnea is not obvious – who’s going to notice if every few minutes you take 10 seconds between breaths?

Commonly the person with Sleep Apnea has no idea that they are breathing irregularly – the only clue for the sleeper is daytime sleepiness and frequent fatigue caused by poor quality sleep. Apnea reduces the amount of oxygen to the brain and prevents deep sleep that is so refreshing and invigorating. A Wisconsin Sleep Cohort study estimated in 1993 that 1 in 15 Americans have moderate or worse sleep apnea. It also estimated 9% of middle-aged women and 24% of middle-aged men were affected, undiagnosed and untreated.

Snoring is sometimes taken as a sign of Apnea but actually air is moving through your throat while you snore. It’s when you STOP snoring and stop breathing that apnea occurs. What the snoring may tell you is that your throat passageway is narrow and at risk for closure while sleeping.

The test to officially diagnose Sleep Apnea is called a polysomnogram, or "sleep study". The patient is hooked to wires and devices to measure brain waves, breathing, blood oxygen level, eye movement (for REM sleep), leg movements, and chin movement AND then is asked to sleep normally in a hospital bed. Five or more Apnea events per hour is considered clinically significant.

There are two common treatments for Sleep Apnea. I know many people (my father included) who use a CPAP machine (continuous positive air pressure). These machines force air down your throat while sleeping to keep it open and unblocked. The other option is surgery to widen the airway by removing tissue or tightening the muscles alongside it. It’s more expensive but it can cure the problem. By comparison, CPAP cures the symptoms but not the cause and needs to be used the rest of your life.

Bottom Line

If you find yourself tired no matter how much sleep you get, ask your doctor to prescribe a Sleep Study. It’s not cheap, about $7000, but many medical insurers will cover it and the CPAP machine afterwards. The alternative can be death. I know two relatives who fell asleep while driving a car. One caused a major accident with serious injuries; the other woke up after crossing the median but before hitting anything.

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/SleepApnea/SleepApnea_WhatIs.html

PS

Happy Birthday to my Sister!