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my son, age 21,6'6 and about 300lbs has been diagnosed with severe obstructive sleep apnea. This has proabably been going on for  years..  He is difficult to wake up in the morning, ususally has purple bags under his eyes and has an open mouth appearance...I thought he just wasnt getting enough sleep for a teenager....I never knew his sleep pattern cos he sleeps upstairs...recently i noticed his apnea when i went upstairs during the middle of the night for one of my other children and heard him snoring...on observation he was apneic periodically...he will be starting cpap soon....i guess my question is will the fact he's had this for a long time cause long term problems with his heart etc..?I feel badly that i never noticed it before....thanks

[National Jewish]

The fact that he has had sleep apnea for a long time should not have caused any permanent damage to any of his major organs, heart, brain etc.  Eventually, without treatment it would.

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) is a machine that is used as a common treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).  OSA is a condition in which the airway does not fully open during sleep.  CPAP delivers air pressure into the lungs to keep the airways open during sleep.

It is so important that he use the CPAP and that he use it effectively.  Effectively means that he should stop snoring, be easy to wake up in the morning and not be tired all the time.  If these things do not happen, he must work with his doctor and the sleep experts, to make the CPAP effective.  This may take time; weeks or months and so he must be patient.

Some people have a hard time adjusting to the use of CPAP and give-up on it.  Your son must not give-up.  He must do everything necessary to make it work for, if he does not, his health will quickly deteriorate.  He should also try very hard to lose weight.  At 6'6" he is a big man, but 300 lbs is still too much.

Finally, he should not assume that if he can't adjust to the CPAP, that he can always have surgery.  No matter what anyone may tell you, surgery for this condition is risky, often doesn't work and, when there are complications, there is no way to reverse them.

[Concerned lady]

Dear Ozark,

I don't know the answer to your question about heart problems resulting from sleep apnea, but, here's my thoughts:

You shouldn't feel bad, because you're human, and didn't catch the sleep apnea earlier. No-one is perfect. You should tell yourself to feel good that you DID catch the fact that your son has sleep apnea! Start from now, and try not to worry about the past! :-)

Good luck to you and your son.

Sincerely,
Carol
http://cantbreathesuspectvcd.com

[ozark]

thank you for your comments.  I guess i should feel good that i noticed it sooner than later and hopefully things will be better for him........