Ed Miliband diagnosed with sleep apnoea?

[Patsyw]

Surely if he really had sleep apnoea he wouldn`t be in a fit state physically or mentally to go to work, let alone lead the opposition party?

Since this news appeared in the papers, one of my friends and one of my sons have queried why I am so incapacitated by it when dear Ed manages so well with it. It made me feel like a fraud.

Any comments?

Patsy

[Barely Awake]

It depends on how bad he is affected. And if he really has OSA and not just restricted nasal breathing. If he has tthough he might join the forum

[Chivalry]

it really does have huge levels of effect for different people..
Take myself for example... i have never sufferd with tiredness in my life.. and for years have functioned prefecly fine on 4 to 6 hours sleep a night..
The only reason i went to the doctors was to try and sort out my snoring... which is truly a thing of epic proportions... lol
I was shocked that when i was sent to a sleep clinic and tested it turned out i had a AHI of 60+ or sumthing like that.....i had sumthing like 450 apneas in a 5-6 hour period..... which i believe is extremly high,,,,
and yet its never made me tired or left me feeling drained or lethargic..
After 4 months using my resmed S9 my average AHI is now usualy under 1... and i get on great with using the machine... but i dont feel any different, but i do understand all the other benefits it brings.. so am more than happy to use my machine every night...
Just goes to show how big a difference it can have on each individual

[Richard]

Hi Patsy,

Mike Tindall, the England rugby hooker and the fiance of Zara Phillips, has a similar problem to Ed Milliband: a deviated septum. This means they could both probably snore for England, too.

Tindall sports a wonderfully deformed hooter, but there is no evidence that it impairs his ability to breathe or function as a rugby player. The same with Milliband and his energy as a politician. Maybe both men will, in time, become candidates for CPAP Therapy.

But the seriously damaging part of sleep apnoea remains

i). The patient's age and how long before treatment started.
ii). The extent of the obstruction in the airway.
iii). The ability of the lungs to cope.
iv). Other well-established medical conditions.

You may never play rugby for England, Patsy, or lead a political party, but at least CPAP Therapy allows you to make the best of what you have.

While we're on:

A couple lie side by side in bed on their wedding-night. She turns to her new husband and whispers; "There's something you should know,"

"What's that, my love?"

"I used to be a hooker."

"That doesn't bother me, darling," he replies. "That's all in the past."

"But I must tell you; I was a hooker, my name was Gavin and I played for Llanelli."

Take care.

[Patsyw]

Chivalry and Richard - thanks for your thoughts (and joke !).

I can see that a lot depends on length of time one has lived with it without getting treated. The technician told me that years of never attaining phase 4 stage of sleep means that muscles never get repaired and obviously this is going to cause fatigue.

Chivalry - I can`t understand how you could have had such severe apnoea and not felt tired.

Patsy

[dravidio]

Hi Patsy,

Mike Tindall, the England rugby hooker and the fiance of Zara Phillips, has a similar problem to Ed Milliband: a deviated septum. This means they could both probably snore for England, too.

Tindall sports a wonderfully deformed hooter, but there is no evidence that it impairs his ability to breathe or function as a rugby player. The same with Milliband and his energy as a politician. Maybe both men will, in time, become candidates for CPAP Therapy.

But the seriously damaging part of sleep apnoea remains

i). The patient's age and how long before treatment started.
ii). The extent of the obstruction in the airway.
iii). The ability of the lungs to cope.
iv). Other well-established medical conditions.

You may never play rugby for England, Patsy, or lead a political party, but at least CPAP Therapy allows you to make the best of what you have.

While we're on:

A couple lie side by side in bed on their wedding-night. She turns to her new husband and whispers; "There's something you should know,"

"What's that, my love?"

"I used to be a hooker."

"That doesn't bother me, darling," he replies. "That's all in the past."

"But I must tell you; I was a hooker, my name was Gavin and I played for Llanelli."

Take care.

That's a great joke! Not Gavin Henson I hope.

[Stewart]

I had my septum de-deviated 14 years ago, I'd complained of chronic snoring and, even then, suggested that I may have had OSA. However they knew better, the op cured nothing and I wasn't finally diagnosed until I'd fallen asleep at the wheel and crashed the car.

PS. Good joke

[Barely Awake]

I had that op twice and still have a deviated septum, the worst of it is getting a mask to work for me. Most plastic nasal cones collapse the nostrils as I breathe in, individual nasal pillows mate with only one nostril at a time so are no good (please RESMED make the Swift FX with a nasal cushion option to fit all us deviated septums out there!!!)

[Roomservice]

I had that op twice and still have a deviated septum, the worst of it is getting a mask to work for me. Most plastic nasal cones collapse the nostrils as I breathe in, individual nasal pillows mate with only one nostril at a time so are no good (please RESMED make the Swift FX with a nasal cushion option to fit all us deviated septums out there!!!)

Interesting -I'm assessing all the options at the moment. I'm on CPAP and have been since Aug 09 and, whilst I understand and appreciate the enormous benefits of it, I would prefer not to be on it.

Is there any reason why the procedure has failed twice?
cheers
rs

[Barely Awake]

Interesting -I'm assessing all the options at the moment. I'm on CPAP and have been since Aug 09 and, whilst I understand and appreciate the enormous benefits of it, I would prefer not to be on it.

Is there any reason why the procedure has failed twice?
cheers
rs

I didn't have the nose op because of OSA, I hadn't been diagnosed at the time, the first was carried out because of a chronic sore throat, due to mouth breathing and snoring, the second because my nose was left under my left ear after a discussion on the finer points of the game with a tight head prop!

Albeit I have had this pretty uncomfortable op twice I am no expert, nor am I on OSA even though I suffer from it. Has someone, anyone, had this op to help with OSA? I can't see how the op is related to OSA! Has a health professional suggested this would help?

[Tigers Fan]

I know of someone who had a deviated septum. The surgery was painful and did not improve her OSA at all.

There are no end of threads in this forum about failed surgery for OSA.

Surgery is considered a last resort because it is irreversable and often/usually does not help.

That has been gleaned from reading PAP forums over nerly three years so it is anecdotaal evidence. I expect the surgeons disagree wholeheartedly!

TF