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Sleep Apnea/Questions Answered by Expert Michael Rush
| Subject | Date Asked |
| Leg edema and apnea | 9/22/2011 |
| Q: Can you explain more why there is leg edema with sleep apnea? Why does the body retain fluids during ... A: the brain is going to preserve the most important areas of the body such as the heart and the brain ... | |
| Mask | 5/27/2011 |
| Q: I am having a hard time finding a mask that works. I am a mouth breather so I am very dry using a ... A: Full face masks should rest on the bridge of your nose and on the indention between lower lip and ... | |
| Mask | 5/17/2011 |
| Q: I am having a hard time finding a mask that works. I am a mouth breather so I am very dry using a ... A: Try nasal pillows with a chin strap. I will tell you as I tell everyone who asks about masks. ... | |
| PSG data, medical records | 5/16/2011 |
| Q: Rush: I have been unable to get the raw polysomnography data from my sleep study. I need expert ... A: The sleep study is interrupted by the sleep study tech. It takes about 2 -4 hours to review the 600+ ... | |
| Poor quality of sleep | 12/28/2010 |
| Q: I awaken after 4-5 hours of sleep in total exhaustion, heart pounding, shoulders & arms aching, ... A: You may want to check and Ear nose and throat doctor about the jaw and maybe an oral surgeon. They ... | |
| sleep study | 12/4/2010 |
| Q: First diagnosed with OSA 2 years ago. Never was able to become compliant with cpap. Always took it ... A: I have no data about how often people with sleep apnea have no events during a sleep. study. Weight ... | |
| water dripping on my face | 10/7/2010 |
| Q: I use a CPAP machine and have for several years now. My machine has a humidifier. Recently it has ... A: There should be a way to shut it off completely. Many people who have used one for years find they ... | |
| bad sleep test | 9/19/2010 |
| Q: i recently went for a sleep study and feel like i was pre-diagnosed before i even got there. i am ... A: Penny, Sorry you had such a bad experience with the sleep study. But sometimes the tech only need ... | |
| son with possible OSA | 9/18/2010 |
| Q: My son is 9 years old. Born with weight and height on 50th percentile. Weight and height slowed ... A: Sleep apnea occurs due to a collapse of the airway in the throat not the nose. This doesn't mean he ... | |
| Altitude and apnea | 8/8/2010 |
| Q: I was diagnosed with apnea four years ago with a sleep interruption rate of about 38/hr. The sleep ... A: I don't know about feeling better at lower altitudes ( but I sleep better at the beach and I live in ... | |
| apnea events | 7/29/2010 |
| Q: Emailed you couple days ago about waking every 2 hours but oxygen levels are good. What would cause ... A: Arousals can be caused by a ton of different things. Leg movement, dreams, snoring, poor sleep ... | |
| terribly light headed | 7/28/2010 |
| Q: I have been using an automatic cpap machine for 3 wks now, i am asthmatic and have fibromyalia. i ... A: Believe it or not it could be your blood pressure anyway. You may normally have low blood pressure ... | |
| sleep arousal | 7/26/2010 |
| Q: I was diagnosed with osa 2 years ago. I never was able to use cpap. I was over weight and was ... A: Most likely you still have sleep apnea. Going thru sleep stages is not going to wake you up. Nobody ... | |
| Bad breath associated with bi-pap machine | 7/23/2010 |
| Q: I have noticed, well my husband is telling me every morning my breath is terrible. I brush 3-5 ... A: IT can if you are opening your mouth and it is drying out. Try using a chin strap. And make sure ... | |
| Dry Mouth with BiPAP machine | 6/24/2010 |
| Q: After a recent sleep study I was told I had quit breathing 83 times the first hour and had a very ... A: There are many different mask to chose from and a full face mask might help. unfortunately they are ... | |
| CPAP with Supplemental oxygen | 5/3/2010 |
| Q: I was diagnosed with sleep apnea several years ago, and have been using a CPAP machine with a ... A: I would have a new sleep study done to find out if the desaturation is caused by your sleep apnea or ... | |
| Sleep Apena | 4/16/2010 |
| Q: It said for sleep apena. Sleep apnea is considered a serious medical condition. Complications may ... A: Shortness of breath is usually caused by a signal from your body to your brain that it needs more ... | |
| myotonic dystrophy | 3/23/2010 |
| Q: My husband has myotonic dystrophy and sleep apnea. What is the life expectancy for a man 47 years ... A: Sorry to hear about your husband. Sleep apnea is common among sufferers of myotonic dystrophy so ... | |
| sleep apnea/masks | 1/3/2010 |
| Q: I am a 20 year old female and was recently diagnosed with both sleep apnea and narcolepsy. The apnea ... A: The type of interface you use is totally a matter of personal choice. I suggest trying several ... | |
| low oxgyen levels | 12/12/2009 |
| Q: I did a sleep study about two weeks ago and I seen that my levels run about 69 and the nurse I ... A: I am hoping that this is a good sleep study and not an error reading that I am basing this on, but ... | |
| RAI | 12/7/2009 |
| Q: What is the difference between RAI and AHI. I have read they are the same but my sleep study ... A: RAI = Respiratory Arousal Index which means you are wakign yourself up with your sleep apnea 27 ... | |
| Sleep problems | 11/27/2009 |
| Q: I've been having trouble sleeping for years. Many times during the night I stop breathing, and I ... A: Sorry to hear about your problem. Stopping breathing during sleep IS sleep apnea. Now how severe it ... | |
| oxygen levels | 11/21/2009 |
| Q: I was diagnosed couple years ago with osa. I had my cpap with pressure of 9. I recently went on ... A: I wouldn't stop using the CPAP without having another sleep study done. Yes your stats are better ... | |
| high blood pressure and cpap | 10/22/2009 |
| Q: ive been on cpap auto bipap for 4 yrs. in the morning my blood pressure is 176/96 and after work it ... A: The BiPAP should be helping to control your blood pressure so I don't know why it's so high in the ... | |
| Can sleep apnea cause swelling of the feet | 10/18/2009 |
| Q: I have been diagnosed wth Sleep Apnea about two years ago. I don't have the correct machine(CPAP) ... A: Sleep apnea causes ALOT of problems. When you stop breathing your brain thinks you are suffocating ... | |
| teenager sleep study results | 9/19/2009 |
| Q: Where can I find the PSG scale for a teenager's sleep study (teen is 15yrs. old)? "T" A: http://www.cpap-supply.com/Articles.asp?ID=169 There's a metric called the AHI, or Apnea Hypopnea ... | |
| Could this be caused by Sleep Apnea?????? HELP! | 8/2/2009 |
| Q: Im a 24 yr old male, 205lbs, 6ft, cholesterol 245. I'm a very inactive person for about 4 years now, ... A: You may have acid reflux which feels very much like heart problems. You would need to be scoped to ... | |
| Dry Mouth/Throat w/mask | 8/2/2009 |
| Q: I am fairly new to using a mask (two months). During this time I've tried three masks. I have the ... A: I don't know what kind of masks you have tried, but it sounds like you are opening your mouth when ... | |
| Sleep Apnea | 7/24/2009 |
| Q: .. My husband says that he thinks that I have sleep apnea... so I have just recently gone into my ... A: Because of the low pulse ox readings your should have a sleep study done asap. The effect of sleep ... | |
| apnea | 7/8/2009 |
| Q: I am about to receive my personnal machine, had my temporary read and i will be set at 11. What do ... A: Welcome to the club! The number is the amount of pressure needed to keep your airways from ... | |
| Teen Sleep Apnea | 6/2/2009 |
| Q: This is a second email with a better description of my original question. Thanks! "My 14-year old ... A: First I would have him visit an Ear, Nose and Throat Dr. to see if he needs his tonsils and adenoids ... | |
| apnea | 4/20/2009 |
| Q: I had an overnight sleep study done recently to address snoring issues. Results: resting heart ... A: The only concern I would have is the SaO2 at 87%. You should find out how much time you spent with ... | |
| possible sleep disorder? | 3/31/2009 |
| Q: I had a sleep study where my AHI was 5.2 and I had an arousal index of 32.3/hr, which I feel is very ... A: I would not recommend buying a CPAP machine. It appears that you have something other then an airway ... | |
| sleep apnea | 3/2/2009 |
| Q: what questions should I ask my dr, I just did a sleep study and in 5 1/2 hours they say I woke up ... A: You want to know how well the CPAP trial worked. If you need oxygen added to the CPAP. If you oxygen ... | |
| Pulmonary hypertension | 3/1/2009 |
| Q: How does Sleep Apnea cause pulmonary hypertension. I have had sleep Apnea for at least 7 years and I ... A: Secondary pulmonary artery hypertension (SPAH) is defined as a pulmonary artery systolic pressure ... | |
| c-pap machine | 2/24/2009 |
| Q: My husband sleeps with a c-pap machine. The first few hours the machine (and husband) are quiet. By ... A: There are many things that can cause the noise. Your husband may have his mouth open, the port may ... | |
| recently diagnosed | 1/15/2009 |
| Q: I had a sleep study done recently and reviewed results today with my PCP. apparently I have ... A: Surgery to resolve sleep apnea is very painful, has a very long recovery period (about 6 months) and ... | |
| Are short Desaturation spikes considered abnormal ? | 1/12/2009 |
| Q: I recently purchased a wrist pulse oximeter with recording capability to check my desaturation. A ... A: Anything less than 15/min is concidered normal. But in order to be counted we look for a decrease of ... | |
| SPO2 during night time sleeping | 1/5/2009 |
| Q: For a few years now, I have been diagnosed with Sleep Apnea. I own both a C-PAP and a BI-PAP ... A: The OxiMax® N-560™ pulse oximeter is a compact, affordable monitor compatible with the complete ... | |
| SPO2 during night time sleeping | 1/5/2009 |
| Q: For a few years now, I have been diagnosed with Sleep Apnea. I own both a C-PAP and a BI-PAP ... A: Normal Spo2 is 95-100%. Below 90% is cause for concern. Nellcor makes the most popular pulse ... | |
| Conditions that could alter results of sleep apnea testing. | 12/30/2008 |
| Q: If a person is not normally "stuffed up" while sleeping, but is during the time of both phases of ... A: Not really because sleep apnea is cause by a closure of the airway in your trachea in the back of ... | |
| Why should I start being concerned? | 12/9/2008 |
| Q: I'm 41, and my wife says I snore loudly. OK, she's right. But she also says I stop breathing during ... A: Ross, You can have periods of sleep apnea and still be within normal limits, which is under 15 ... | |
| husband can't sleep due to noise from my bi-pap | 11/27/2008 |
| Q: . I have the most severe case of central sleep-apnea my sleep physician (neurologist) has ever seen. ... A: There are A TON of different interfaces available. My favorite is RES-MED if you are sore from it ... | |
| husband can't sleep due to noise from my bi-pap | 11/26/2008 |
| Q: . I have the most severe case of central sleep-apnea my sleep physician (neurologist) has ever seen. ... A: You can have your husband wear ear plugs to bed. Many people do this who are sensitive to noise. Or ... | |
| Sleep Apnea | 11/24/2008 |
| Q: My husband is 33 years old and is chronically tired. He had a sleep apnea test done a few years ago ... A: I understand your problem but I don't know if I can help. But here goes. Many sleep labs are ... | |
| saO2 | 8/25/2008 |
| Q: My sleep study indicates a Lowest SaO2: 70% Is that good or bad? Also there is something about AHI ... A: Bad. Normal is 95% to 100%. We get worried at 89%...70% is downright scary...BUT it depends on how ... | |
| Oximetry report and Sleep apnea | 8/20/2008 |
| Q: I have been having some problems with being out of breath, and I was recently diagnosed with Sleep ... A: Well now this opens a whole new can of worms. You didn't memtion anything about heart and kidney ... | |
| Oximetry report and Sleep apnea | 8/18/2008 |
| Q: I have been having some problems with being out of breath, and I was recently diagnosed with Sleep ... A: 26% spent in the 80's is not good. Oxygen may have to be added to your system and you may need a new ... | |
| CPAP/Sleep Apnea Questions | 7/30/2008 |
| Q: I saw a response that you left on allexperts.com about a Sleep Apnea/CPAP question… and wanted to ... A: Medical Professional. 21 Years as a Respiratory Therapist. You Need another sleep study. Thins ... | |
| Sleep Study Results | 7/28/2008 |
| Q: I just received results from my sleep study. In 6.1 hours of sleep I stopped breathing 283 times, ... A: The ENT wants you to have the surgery because that's how they make their money. Get a second opinion ... | |
| OSA, CSA, or Psychosomatic? | 6/30/2008 |
| Q: I am 49 years of age, male, in the US Army, and was diagnosed with sleep apnea in Sept 08. The ENT ... A: First, Thank you for your service to our country. Second I'm sorry for the problems you are having, ... | |
| Apnea | 6/26/2008 |
| Q: The Conclusions of my sleep study are "Severe obstructive sleep apnea: AHI=46/hr, max of 28s. ... A: Yes an Oxygen saturation of 81% is a cause of concern. This will put a major strain on your heart ... | |
| Apnea | 6/25/2008 |
| Q: The Conclusions of my sleep study are "Severe obstructive sleep apnea: AHI=46/hr, max of 28s. ... A: Ok this is a long one. Yes you have severe apnea. The AHI stands for Apnea-Hypopnea index. Which is ... | |
| Sleep apnea | 5/3/2008 |
| Q: My husband has been sent an appointment with a sleep study clinic (through GP referral) and asked to ... A: The monitor could be a pulse oximeter used to check his oxygen levels at night or a auto-titrating ... | |
| Problem with face sores | 2/2/2008 |
| Q: I don't mind the mask, it seems to fit well and have a good seal to my face ~ my problem is that I ... A: You might have the mask too tight. Try loosening it until it leaks and then just tighten it a bit to ... | |
| unsatisfactory sleep study | 1/13/2008 |
| Q: I finally had a sleep study study done last night, but I could NOT fall asleep! It was ... A: This is not rare, in fact it is quite common. But even though many people feel that they did not ... | |
| CPAP | 11/20/2007 |
| Q: Michael I am 48,no other medical issues. I was diagnosed with sleep apnea five years ago. I have ... A: All the above are signs of poor sleep habits but since you are on a CPAP machine already, I'm a bit ... | |
| bipap | 9/25/2007 |
| Q: i had a sleep study done a week ago, and during the night the nurse came in and placed me on a ... A: They will score your test and see how many events you had during the night. If you average more than ... | |
| Effects of Sleep Apnea | 8/3/2007 |
| Q: I'm 51 now but I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea (89 episodes per hour & lowest oxygen level ... A: Unfortunately there are not many studies done to determine all damage imposed by sleep apnea. Most ... | |
| Sleep Apnea | 6/20/2007 |
| Q: I am a 44 year old married mother of a 5 & 9 year old. I have been sleeping my life away for the ... A: Sleep is divided into stages 1-4 and REM. Snoring can prevent you from progressing into the deeper ... | |
| Apnea/Cpap | 6/11/2007 |
| Q: I was recently diagnosed with "severe" sleep apnea. Doctor is recommending CPAp. I have done a lot ... A: I'm sorry but I will be of little help if you insist on such tight limits. I have heard little about ... | |
| Sleep Apena Type II Diabetes | 4/15/2007 |
| Q: After having Type II Diabetes for three years could it have caused my Sleep Apena? A: Most likely it happened the other way around. The body will shut down organs in order of importance ... | |
| Sleep Apnea | 4/2/2007 |
| Q: I had the first part of my sleep study and was told I have mild sleep apnea. CPAP was recommended ... A: Sorry, but just because you didn't snore for a few night doesn't mean the problem went away. You ... | |
| sleep apnea | 12/19/2006 |
| Q: I will have to pay out of pocket (my insurance doesn't cover it) for a sleep study. Do you always ... A: If you are paying for the equipment yourself you do not need a sleep study. But if your insurance ... | |
| unsure of diagnosis | 12/1/2006 |
| Q: I am writing this on behalf of my husband, who was recently diagnosed with sleep apnea. He is 24 ... A: Getting a second opinion is always a good idea. You should talk with you insurance provider to see ... | |
| Tonsiles | 6/12/2006 |
| Q: I have servere sleep apnea. I do use a CPAP machine for almost 2 years. It is working great. I know ... A: First I am not a doctor, I am a Respiratory therapist. Anyway, yes having your tonsiles removed may ... | |
| sleep apnea with use of cpap | 6/8/2006 |
| Q: i'm 28 and use a cpap machine for about a month now. i was told that the machine has card in it that ... A: Some CPAP machines have a data card that can be downloaded to see what pressures you are at, how ... | |
| cpap machine | 5/29/2006 |
| Q: Recently, I have been diagnosed with sleep apnea. (I snore rather loud and am somewhat overweight)I ... A: The answers to all the questions is yes. Some CPAP machines are about the size of a tissue box. I ... | |
| Sleep Apnea & CPAP | 3/10/2006 |
| Q: I have been using the CPAP machine for 5 months for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. Last nite ... A: Mr. Brown, Most likely the problem lies with you being a mouth breather and using a nasal mask or ... | |
| About OSA | 2/2/2006 |
| Q: I assume you are a layman with this disorder? Anyway, I was just diagnosed with 'probable' OSA. My ... A: Patricia, Sorry but I am not a layman, but I hope I can still help. First of all do not assume ... | |
| CPAP Mask | 12/22/2005 |
| Q: I've been wearing a full-face CPAP mask for two weeks now. The mask itself doesn't seem to ... A: A full face mask should fit properly, and you can tell this by fitting the mask on your face and ... | |
| Sleep Apnea | 10/15/2005 |
| Q: I have been wearing a cpap for several years and recently had some probems with lower extremity ... A: There are several events that are considered during a sleep study. Apneas is one, but they also look ... | |
| snoring | 9/14/2005 |
| Q: How can we know the cause of my boyfriends snoring? on a 1-10 scale its a 10!!! - we have tried ... A: The most common cause of snore is a colapse of the airway in the back of the throat. The muscles ... | |
| Questions about sleep study parameters | 5/11/2005 |
| Q: For the following: SaO2 awake average = 97% SaO2 worst case = 90% Average SaO2 desaturation = 2% ... A: SaO2 is the abbrv. for oxygen saturation of your blood. It indicates the level of oxygen in your ... | |
| Interview~in a hurry | 4/26/2005 |
| Q: Here are the questions. Hello. As you know I am Samantha Hildebrand and I am from Wissahickon ... A: 1) I became a polysomnographer by the necessity of the hospital in which I worked. They were looking ... | |
| nocturnal apnea | 4/17/2005 |
| Q: During the month of December last (2004) I submited to hip surgery (replacement) and since then ... A: Jan, A sleep study and a visit to the pulmonologist is the best place to start. There are other ... | |
| Sleep Problems | 4/11/2005 |
| Q: My boyfriend (32yrs old) appears to have some type od sleep disorder. Some nights he will not be ... A: Kristin, I cannot tell from the information you gave if your boyfriend has sleep apnea or not, but ... | |
| bad reaction from CPAP | 4/5/2005 |
| Q: I am a psychologist who has been treating a man for morbid depression for @ 12 years. He had made ... A: I would be happy to offer any help that I can. Please have him email me at apo2@hazleton.net In the ... | |
| Sleep apnea | 2/19/2005 |
| Q: My husband had eyelid surgery several days ago to repair a weak eyelid muscle. He was told that he ... A: Obstructive Sleep Apnea is more pronounced when laying supine which is why he only falls asleep on ... | |
| Sleep study help | 10/8/2004 |
| Q: I would like to hear your opinion regarding a sleep study that I took in 2002. Here are the ... A: With an 8.9 apnea/hypopnea index you do not need a CPAP. Anything under 15 per is considered normal ... | |
Michael Rush
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
I can answer questions relating to the diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea. With a focus on use of CPAP and BiPAP and their effects and benefits. I can help trouble shoot problems and make suggestions on how the make this a more pleasant experience.
Experience
I have been in the respiratory field for 20 years with experience in the hospital, Sleep lab and home medical equipment industry. I also have been wearing a BiPAP mask myself for the past four years.Respiratory Care Pracitioner, Licensed Practical Nurse, Certified Pulmonary Function Technician Polysomnography Technician
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