Snoring with sleep apnea

Thank you to a Vet for all you do! Does the PTSD keep your husband from having anything on his face? You may want to try a nose pillow for him. It may not feel like he's being smothered because it sits gently on his face. I hope you find something that works because it's important to his health and your peace of mind.

First of all my personal thanks to your husband for his service. Now, about the snoring… IF he has been diagnosed with apnea, then I strongly suggest some more pro-active efforts about finding a mask that he can tolerate. MOST people have a period of "adjustment". Many of the people I know used the word "never" when they first tried one of the masks with all the headgear, etc.

But once you and your husband realize just how dangerous this condition is, and that it actually, and factually will SHORTEN his life, then you might find the motivation to try several different masks, many of which are no where near as intrusive as the one I was first given.

The bottom line is this, DO NOT GIVE UP, this condition is very serious, and if you and your husband enjoy being around, you will WORK towards finding an acceptable solution. Remember, NOTHING is going to be perfect, and you have to give yourself some time to adjust to it. Stay with it, keep trying, and it has been my experience that in time, you/he will begin to find some comfort, and before long he will even enjoy the superiour sleep he gets while wearing it.

Dont give up!

Mark

Before your husband undergoes any procedure, make sure you both understand WHY he has sleep apnea. Eliminating snoring is one thing, but snoring is only a warning sign of apnea and its the apnea that needs treating as it is a life threatening sleep disorder and won't get better if left untreated.

Implants in the soft palate, might you be talking about the Pillar Procedure? It might reduce snoring but probably not help the apnea. What kind of surgery are you considering to "open his breathing passage"?

The point I am trying to make is that you should be convinced you know what the specific cause is for your husbands apnea. If it's tongue related, as mine is, chances are, no Pillar Procedure or airway opening will do any good. In fact, before I was informed, I had the UPPP procedure ( soft palate trimmed, uvula removed, airway trimmed to make larger) and low and behold, not only was it excruciatingly painful AND expensive, but it actually made my apnea worse - why? My apnea was not related to the uvula, soft palate nor the airway size…my tongue is wide and my jaw is small and narrow.

It amazes me that even today, patients are not told/educated about WHY they have apnea. It is different for each of us, but it involves certain anatomical anomolies and its usually a combination of anatomical reasons, not just one. I think if we each had an understanding of WHY we have apnea, we could better choose treatment options.

Do you know WHY your husband has sleep apnea?

How large is his airway…size of a quarter, half dollar, silver dollar?

Is his uvula large, wide, does it lay or drag on his tongue base?

Does he have enlarged tonsils and/or adenoids?

Is his tongue especially long, wide or thick? Note if he has subtle tooth marks that run down the length of both sides of his tongue!

Is is palate high arched?

Does he have a recessed jaw (simpler put, an overbite)?

Does he have chronic nasal congestion from allergies?

Does he have a deviated septum?

These are just SOME of the anatomical reasons for having sleep apnea.

Lastly, I can understand his PTSD anxiety in wearing masks, and my heart goes out to him, but has he tried some of the small and simpler nasal pillow mask choices? I use one called the breeze nasal pillows. They are simple soft "pillows" that slip gently in to the nostrils. The headgear floats up and over the face, resting at the back of head. Nothing touches the face at all.

The only other thing I can suggest is a dental device, have you had an evaluation with a sleep dentist? There are dentists who are "sleep trained" and their practices focus on treating sleep apnea patients. There are a lot of different and effective dental appliances these days and this might be an option but DEPENDING on why your husband has apnea. Not everyone is a candidate for dental devices.

Make sure you two determine the cause, then you can determine his best treatment option!

My heartfelt good wishes to you both. Please do let us know what you decide and how it works out. This must be very frustrating for you! I'll keep you in my positive thoughts and prayers!

Tracy

Hello St-Bridget1969,

Sorry to hear about your husband's problems. I searched our site to locate some non-surgical options for you to check out. I am not recommending them, just giving you some alternatives to research that many people have used. Here are the links to some videos for you to watch right here on Sleep Connect. Hope this helps.

Donna

http://www.sleepconnect.com/videos/2-snoring-amp-sleep-apnea-solution

http://www.sleepconnect.com/videos/123-snoring-center-live-pillar-procedure

http://www.sleepconnect.com/videos/121-how-to-stop-snoring-dr-jordan-josephson

http://www.sleepconnect.com/videos/122-brez-stop-snoring-device-on-cbs-early-show

http://www.sleepconnect.com/videos/22-snoring-cures