Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) Support Group
Atrial fibrillation (AF or afib) is an abnormal heart rhythm (cardiac arrhythmia) which involves the two small, upper heart chambers (the atria). Heart beats in a normal heart begin after electricity generated in the atria by the sinoatrial node spread through the heart and cause contraction of the heart muscle and pumping of blood.
I just got back from my appointment from my pulminologist/ sleep doctor and thought I would share as it may help some of you. Here is what I learned...
I have mild to moderate sleep apnea and wasn't concerned. It's twice as bad on my back than it is on my side... Classified as "mild to moderate."
BUT.. He said ANY apnea can trigger afib.. Even one apnea in a single night. You don't have to have severe sleep apnea to have an afib event. Even mild sleep apnea needs to be treated.
Sleep apnea is often inherited. Being overweight will make it worse, but isn't normally the cause. My father had severe sleep apnea, so mine was likely inherited.
Sleep apnea causes weight gain. You're too tired to want to exercise, and when you're tired, your body craves carbohydrates and sugar. You gain weight, your apnea gets worse, so you eat more.. and it's a vicious cycle.
Treating sleep apnea can sometimes stop afib. He is optimistic that treating mine will stop the afib since I usually wake up in a fib.
You don't always have to get a Darth Vader mask. The new Cpap masks are smaller. There are even nose pillow types similar to a cannula.
In my case, he says I'm a very good candidate for a dental device which pushes your jaw forward and keeps the airway open. He says that in the right person, there is a 90 percent success rate with the dental device. He feels I'm that right person.
The new dental devices are different. I have to go to a dentist who is certified in this. He will make a mold, and I have to go to a sleep lab with the preliminary device. At the sleeplab, the will be able to adjust it as I sleep, while monitoring my heart, breathing, etc to see if the device works for me.
If it does, the mold/device is sent to a lab where it is made according to the calibrations at the sleep lab. It it doesn't, then we go to plan B, which is a Cpap.
I'm so excited to get this going and to see if it will stop my afib! I also can't wait to stop being tired, and have some energy again!
Tell me about your sleep apnea...
I have mild to moderate sleep apnea and wasn't concerned. It's twice as bad on my back than it is on my side... Classified as "mild to moderate."
BUT.. He said ANY apnea can trigger afib.. Even one apnea in a single night. You don't have to have severe sleep apnea to have an afib event. Even mild sleep apnea needs to be treated.
Sleep apnea is often inherited. Being overweight will make it worse, but isn't normally the cause. My father had severe sleep apnea, so mine was likely inherited.
Sleep apnea causes weight gain. You're too tired to want to exercise, and when you're tired, your body craves carbohydrates and sugar. You gain weight, your apnea gets worse, so you eat more.. and it's a vicious cycle.
Treating sleep apnea can sometimes stop afib. He is optimistic that treating mine will stop the afib since I usually wake up in a fib.
You don't always have to get a Darth Vader mask. The new Cpap masks are smaller. There are even nose pillow types similar to a cannula.
In my case, he says I'm a very good candidate for a dental device which pushes your jaw forward and keeps the airway open. He says that in the right person, there is a 90 percent success rate with the dental device. He feels I'm that right person.
The new dental devices are different. I have to go to a dentist who is certified in this. He will make a mold, and I have to go to a sleep lab with the preliminary device. At the sleeplab, the will be able to adjust it as I sleep, while monitoring my heart, breathing, etc to see if the device works for me.
If it does, the mold/device is sent to a lab where it is made according to the calibrations at the sleep lab. It it doesn't, then we go to plan B, which is a Cpap.
I'm so excited to get this going and to see if it will stop my afib! I also can't wait to stop being tired, and have some energy again!
Tell me about your sleep apnea...
http://www.instantdiagnostic.com/ids/(S(gt4vhxf4wcwf3seb3phj00ak))/content.aspx?content=Patient_Home_Sleep_Testing_How_It_Works
Based on that conversation and my readings, I believe sleep apnea should be taken very seriously. Besides being a prevalent trigger of AF, it can really mess up one's health in many other ways.
Almost 3wks ago, I had an overnight polysomnography (sleep study) test -- split study.
I didn't register enough apnea to merit the 2nd half of the study (CPAP test), but ... my PCP's take on the report is that I have mild apnea.
He recommended a CPAP. I asked for a referral to pulmonology. I go in 5wks.
I've been looking into this afib/apnea thing. It's as frustrating as everything else.
Latest data* seems to say that Obstructive Sleep Apnea (infinitely more common than central or complex) doesn't CAUSE afib, but that central/complex can.
Intuitively, if you have afib at night, why WOULDN'T your O2 sats drop ?
So ... afib could actually be causing apnea in many people, not the other way around.
I'd rather rent a CPAP machine for a while than have parts of my heart TIG welded, but ... still ... they truly don't seem to have their arms around this one yet.
Yeah. Frustrating.
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* http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/855012
Only two dentists within 50 miles are in network, because they're oral surgeons, but they fit it and hope it works. The dentist I want to go to adjusts it with a computer while you sleep so they know 100 percent that it will work before they make it.
If I have to pay for it myself, it's $6,000!
http://www.airwaylabs.com/