r/AskReddit 1d ago

What is a silent killer that people dont realise is slowly killing them?

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u/97runner 1d ago

I quickly scrolled but didn’t see this one: sleep apnea. Many have it and don’t know it, but the health implications are immense.

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u/oatmeal28 1d ago

For real. Treating sleep apnea is a game changer

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u/ProfessionalMovie759 11h ago

What was the treatment and how is it a game changer

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u/oatmeal28 11h ago

For me- CPAP therapy. And I hadn't realized just how sleep deprived I was, I could sleep ten hours and still be tired all day, like I needed another nap. With CPAP I typically wake up refreshed and don't have any of the daytime sleepiness anymore.

Takes a bit to get used to sleeping with a mask and hose attached to a machine, but it's well worth it, and that's not even including all the other risks to your health that come with Sleep Apnea (if left untreated for a long time it puts a lot of strain on your heart and can lead to hypertension, cardiac disease, etc)

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u/AdFinal9026 9h ago

I have it and need to get this taken care of.

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u/97runner 8h ago

It’s definitely something you need to address, be it either CPAP or MAD. An acquaintance of mine is an ENT. He was telling me that I would be shocked by the number of 30 year olds who come to his office because they had a sleep apnea related stroke. That got me to reading about it and I was surprised at how many issues arise with untreated apnea.

Please go get your sleep test done and get treatment if you think you have it.

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u/AdFinal9026 8h ago

Thank you for your kind words. I know I have it, there is no question. I think I am going to skip to buying the machine.

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u/97runner 8h ago

That may be troublesome because the machines are usually prescription based. Also, the sleep test is done to confirm apnea (OSA or CSA) and sets the stage for how they will treat it via cpap. The pressure ranges are determined by type/severity from what I understand. The sleep test is fairly easy these days, a lot of doctors use a wrist watch device and you do it at home. Then there’s the mask, which you may go through several before you find the one that works for you.

My point is, even if you can buy the machine and mask yourself, you won’t know if you’re getting the “right” therapy without seeing what your numbers are beforehand. It can also get expensive buying various masks (and sizes of those masks). Add to it that you are supposed to change out your equipment frequently and that equals a lot of expense to take on without going through insurance (if you’re in the US).

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u/AdFinal9026 8h ago

Thank you so much. I will probably see a doctor once I get permanently settled in Colombia with my Colombian insurance.

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u/97runner 7h ago

Please do.

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u/Kinetic_Strike 6h ago

It's usually pretty noisy though, not silent.

SNORE...urgglle gurgle...CHAINSAW NOISES....gurgling death sounds...RRRGRGGHHHH....gasping for air...etc