To CPAP or not to CPAP, this is the question
Things are not always what they seem to be…
An otherwise healthy middle aged female presented with symptoms of snoring and gagging during the night, and daytime lethargy. Gagging and snoring at night can be strong symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) – which can have very significant and even dangerous health consequences.
A thorough investigation into her general health, and an inspection of her airway was undertaken. Based on her symptoms and without that thorough medical examination, it is highly likely that on-line and commercially motivated CPAP sales companies would have sold her a CPAP device as they typically do – a one-size-fits-all solution.
CPAP units work by pressurising the upper airway to prevent obstruction during sleep. This enables the body to receive the oxygen it needs to regenerate and refresh. Humans readily breathe in sufficient oxygen during the day to ensure their organs perform their various functions effectively, but at night this can change.
But, things are not always as they seem, and in some cases these symptoms are indicative of other underlying conditions.
Herein lies a key difference between TheSleepGP’s approach to OSA, and the approach of commercially driven CPAP sales organisations. The SleepGP is up-skilled to identify whether snoring and gagging is OSA related, or whether something else is causing these symptoms.
An upper airway abnormality was discovered, that was fixed with a straight forward operation by an ENT surgeon.
Conclusion: This patient did not need a CPAP which would only assist her at night – she needed suitable medical intervention to enable her to breathe properly both night and day.
The SleepGP doctors are a dedicated team of primary care doctors with a sleep medicine sub-specialty whom you can trust with your holistic care. Their primary interest is in helping you manage chronic sleep issues, not in selling you a CPAP machine. As in this case, a minor surgical procedure could be all you need…