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Saturday, September 17, 2016

Sleep Apnea

I have been treadmilling 40 minutes a day, 7 days a week , along with working out at a gym 40 minutes a day, three days a week for months and not losing any weight.  My wife has recently noticed my snoring problem has returned, usually an indicator for me of sleep apnea.  After my 2014 aortic valve replacement, the sleep apnea problem went away probably because I lost weight.  The heart attack/stroke diet plan also helped shed about 30 pounds.  (An unpleasant and expensive way to do it.)  I have also been struggling with exhaustion, another sign of sleep apnea; you keep waking up at least for a few seconds, and the quality of sleep is therefore poor.

For a very long time, I used and praised BreatheRight strips to reduce snoring and as an alternative to a CPAP mask, which is much like a horror film.  They also made a slight difference in weight.  Perhaps because improved oxygen flow burned more calories in my sleep.  Sleep apnea is unfortunately a positive feedback loop problem: the less energetic you are, the more you gain weight, and the extra weight aggravates the sleep apnea.

I have resumed to use of the BreatheRight strips.  My sleep requirement has shortened by a couple hours a night, and I have lost several pounds in the last four days.  My energy levels are rising as well.  The snoring has ceased.  Not cheap, but well worth it!
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2 comments:

  1. EskymanSeptember 17, 2016 at 3:31 PM

    I've a friend (now 76) who fell & smashed his nose, which had already been well-battered from his turbulent youth. Though the VA did a great job repairing his nose, it's now flattened and the airways are constricted. He uses the Walmart cheaper variation of the BreatheRight strips, "Equate" brand, and finds them just as good; the Tan extra-strength strips are the ones he gets, they're $6.97/pk of 26. (Some say the clear ones aren't as strong.)

    Have you tried a low-carb diet? I used to suffer from high blood pressure and was overweight, but now I feel like a new man after several months on low-carb; now my BP is usually 100/60, often less, and my doctor has reduced the meds I take. Soon I may be off the BP meds entirely, which at age 70 I hadn't anticipated. My weight has dropped from 220# down to 190, and I'm never hungry (or even counting calories.) I eat lots of bacon, eggs, meat, fish, and lots of veggies & salads, but no bread, rice, beans (or chocolate, sigh.) If you haven't tried low-carb, you should look into it!

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  2. Clayton CramerSeptember 17, 2016 at 7:07 PM

    My wife bought a box of the Equate brand (tan) and they definitely work well. Already on low-carb diet.

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