I’ve been having sleeping problems for many years, which became aggravated when I left college for the 8-5 life a year ago. I recently went to a sleep disorders clinic for a sleep study and was warned by the doctor it may be sleep apnea because of the way my boyfriend described my occasional snoring and my huge tonsils.
I was shocked. I knew that sleep apnea meant your airways were blocked at night, but I’d only heard it associated with overweight people, whose windpipes were crushed at night due to their sheer weight. A former boss of mine was overweight and had it and had to use a CPAP machine, which has a mask you wear at night that pumps air down your throat. I’m not at all overweight and quite young, so I was puzzled. But the doctor explained that sleep apnea can be caused by a variety of other reasons, including large tonsils, a receded chin, a deviated septum, and an enlarged tongue.
Yesterday I went in to learn my sleep study results. It turns out I stopped breathing completely at one point during the night, and at many other moments, my breathing was reduced 30-40%. Your blood oxygen levels are supposed to stay at 92% or above, and mine dipped down to 89%. There is a number called AHI, or apnea-hypopnea index, used to determine how restricted your breathing is at night. A very normal person would have a number of 1 or 2. Someone who snores or has very minor breathing issues would have a 3 or 4. Anything above 5 means you have apnea. Mine was 5.2.
Sleep apnea can result in depression, headaches, memory and concentration problems, excessive daytime sleepiness, and even high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. I battled depression and fatigue for years, so I am thrilled to finally have a potential cause.
One option to eliminate the apnea is the CPAP machine, but it is very large and bulky, not to mention totally unsexy! And I’m sure uncomfortable. My other option is to have my monster tonsils excised. The doctor said it can be extremely painful for a week or two since you have to swallow, and are constantly irritating the area. While I hate the thought of surgery, the doc said apnea only gets worse with age, and I think better sleep for the rest of my life is worth a week or two of severe pain.
The sleep doc recommended I see a local ear, nose, and throat doctor who is known to be conservative with surgery, so he will be able to let me know if I should remove the tonsils and possibly the adenoids. If I do get the surgery, I will do it during the holidays in Houston so my wonderful mom can take care of me while I’m on the mend. Nothing like being nursed by your mother!
Anyway, the most interesting thing about this is I’ve probably had this condition for many years, if not my whole life, and had no idea until now. The side effects of sleep apnea can greatly affect your functioning, especially as you get older, so if the tonsil removal takes care of it, I can’t imagine how wonderful I’ll feel after a true good night’s sleep. I want people to know that if they have been experiencing a problem that interferes with their life, they shouldn’t just hope it will just go away or get better. I had no idea it was even a possibility for me to have sleep apnea, and lo and behold, it could be the root of so many problems for me. Don’t hesitate to have a doctor look into something because of embarrassment or worrying that it’s not a big deal. It could change your life.
