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homeschoolmom2
Joined: 27 Feb 2008
Posts: 21
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 Upper Air Resistance Syndrome?
Does anyone know anything about this? I can't find any information on it. My husband was diagnosed with it but we don't know anything about it. His sleep study revealed this but no sleep apnea.
Thank you!
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| Wed Feb 27, 2008 11:24 pm |
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homeschoolmom2
Joined: 27 Feb 2008
Posts: 21
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 Re: Upper Air Resistance Syndrome?
[quote="homeschoolmom2"]Does anyone know anything about this? I can't find any information on it. My husband was diagnosed with it but we don't know anything about it. His sleep study revealed this but no sleep apnea.
Thank you!
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| Wed Feb 27, 2008 11:25 pm |
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PuhJommies
Joined: 25 Sep 2007
Posts: 1055
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I'd be interested in this also.
I'll start some source finding tomorrow.
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| Thu Feb 28, 2008 1:31 am |
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homeschoolmom2
Joined: 27 Feb 2008
Posts: 21
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I since found something that helped since posting and joining here.
www.sleepdisordersguide.com/upper-airway-resistance-syndrome.html
Sounds like it's not serious like sleep apnea....or from what I read. I'm not putting it as nothing, I don't mean that, but the nurse just gave us no info and we had just never heard of it before and was just concerned. She said his was called "mild". So we're going to find a dr soon!!
Thank you!
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| Thu Feb 28, 2008 9:17 am |
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melhajj
Joined: 12 Oct 2007
Posts: 354
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it seems to me that even if the airways do not collapse or relax as the sleep apnea patients; the side effects are very similar and even the treatment; make appointment with a sleep doctor that is the best suggestion.
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| Thu Feb 28, 2008 2:12 pm |
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homeschoolmom2
Joined: 27 Feb 2008
Posts: 21
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I agree. Although the nurse said the results indicated that no cpap was needed. And oxygen levels were ok. She said it was recommended he see an Ear Nose and Throat specialist to be fitted for a dental appliance, but from reading elsewhere on this forum sounds like a lot of people go to the dentist for this dental appliance?
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| Thu Feb 28, 2008 2:30 pm |
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melhajj
Joined: 12 Oct 2007
Posts: 354
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yes, but, you need first, to be seen by an ENT, to make a real diagnosis of your problem and give you a referal for a dentist, if necessary. I believe most of the people here, first went to a sleep doctor or a ENT and then , if this doctor believes that you need a dentist he will tell you; it is important to do this first step so you can talk to the specialist about your problem and the doubts you might have as well as what options there are for treatment, outcomes, side effects, etc.
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| Fri Feb 29, 2008 3:29 pm |
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homeschoolmom2
Joined: 27 Feb 2008
Posts: 21
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thanks so much for clearing this up for me. We got him an appt. in 2wks with an ENT. I'll keep you posted.
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| Fri Feb 29, 2008 4:04 pm |
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Kent Smith
Joined: 31 Aug 2006
Posts: 62
Location: Irving, Texas
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melhajj wrote:yes, but, you need first, to be seen by an ENT, to make a real diagnosis of your problem and give you a referal for a dentist, if necessary. I believe most of the people here, first went to a sleep doctor or a ENT and then , if this doctor believes that you need a dentist he will tell you; it is important to do this first step so you can talk to the specialist about your problem and the doubts you might have as well as what options there are for treatment, outcomes, side effects, etc.
Hey Melhajj,
I wish what you said were true, but there are far too many ENTs who do not believe in oral appliances for anything. I personally believe these appliances should be one of the first choices for UARS, but you can consider me a bit prejudiced. It sounds like a real diagnosis has already been given by the MD reading the study, so she won't need to see the ENT for that. However, it is ALWAYS good to see an ENT to rule out any nasal obstructions before moving to the next step. But you must remember that most will not know about the side effects of an oral appliance and what can be done to prevent them.
Finding a dentist with this knowledge is the next step, once she determines that the ENT does not recommend treatment such as that needed for a deviated septum or enlarged turbinates. They may recommend septoplasty, Pillar implants, tonsillectomy or other procedure, but please don't let them sway your opinion of a dental device. The best way to tell is to see if they have a dentist they like to work with. If they say "no", they know too little.
_________________ Kent Smith DDS
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| Mon Mar 03, 2008 12:41 am |
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melhajj
Joined: 12 Oct 2007
Posts: 354
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Dear Dr. Kent : people who needs to get a referral from their primary physician usually they are sent to a sleep doctor, ent, pulmonologist, etc first and also people who do not need a referral usually they go first to any of them; i do not deny the importance of going to see a orthodontics, but usually the medical insurance will put a lot of obstacles to the patients in case that they accept to pay for any oral appliance; so, the case is that usually patients go and try first the cpap while trying to work out with the insurance to get an oral appliance or to look for other solutions like surgeries; as we are all aware, medical insurance are the judges about deciding who needs an oral appliance and who do not need; they claim that oral appliances to treat sleep apnea are not covered since these are dental devices, etc, etc; a person suffering from sleep apnea or any of these disorders is not going to wait a couple of months fighting with the insurance to accept to pay for an oral device, in case that they finally accept to pay for it; One of the very things that i do not agree with is that you are subject to the medical insurance to decide if you go and see any kind of doctor or procedure to be done; in my opinnion a lot of medical insurances work more for saving money for their own companies than for the sake of the patient.
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| Mon Mar 03, 2008 3:31 pm |
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homeschoolmom2
Joined: 27 Feb 2008
Posts: 21
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 has to do another sleep study!
Well my husband went to see an ENT last week. The dr was not satisfied with the previous study. He was not familiar with the place where he had the first sleep study taken. He ordered another study at the clinic he is familiar with. It's all a little confusing to us. And I'm not sure how to read the papers I have on it. I do recall him saying some that my husbands numbers were 8? The paper I have says something about 8.3 events per hour. (Any help here on regards to understand the numbers would be appreciated.)
Anyway, he feels that he doesn't have the Upper Air Resistance syndrome as he is going by the "numbers" (?) on the diagnostic results we brought with us. He says according to the numbers he should have been diagnosed with mild sleep apnea, that he is on the line. He basically wants to do it again and the way I took it that he might be there himself for part of it while my husband is doing the test? Maybe I miss understood, but he for sure will be the one that reads the tests this time because he just finished "getting his degree" in doing so.
So I hope that we aren't being taken for here. My husband has good insurance and my concern was that the insurance would deny him of another one this close. I told the dr my concern. He said he would personally talk to them, even if he had to talk to the ins. medical dr himself. He said he would all be taken care of when my husband comes for the test. We'll see.
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| Mon Mar 17, 2008 10:59 am |
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Vicki
Moderator
Joined: 31 May 2005
Posts: 3261
Location: Southern California
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UARS has been extensively discussed on this forum. Put "UARS" in the Google search field on the left. Many people with UARS use a CPAP. Thankfully, your husband's ENT didn't recommend surgery (yet). Most ENTs go straight to surgery while the first therapy choice should be a CPAP.
Vicki
_________________ That which does not kill you makes you stronger-Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich must of had apnea.
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| Mon Mar 17, 2008 11:23 am |
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homeschoolmom2
Joined: 27 Feb 2008
Posts: 21
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Well the ENT did say that the thing that hangs in the back of our throat (  ) was sagging very low and it should be surgerically be taken care of but he said most ins. won't let him do that right at first because they considered it cosmetic surgery (geez!). So he said usually a cpap has to be tried first. So maybe we did get a good ENT? I hope so! Thanks for your reply!
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| Mon Mar 17, 2008 12:20 pm |
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Kent Smith
Joined: 31 Aug 2006
Posts: 62
Location: Irving, Texas
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 Re: has to do another sleep study!
homeschoolmom2 wrote:Well my husband went to see an ENT last week. The dr was not satisfied with the previous study. He was not familiar with the place where he had the first sleep study taken. He ordered another study at the clinic he is familiar with. It's all a little confusing to us. And I'm not sure how to read the papers I have on it. I do recall him saying some that my husbands numbers were 8? The paper I have says something about 8.3 events per hour. (Any help here on regards to understand the numbers would be appreciated.)
Well, the "8" could be obstructive events, arousals, respiratory arousals, apneic events, apnea+hypopnea+RERAs (RDI), or many other things
Anyway, he feels that he doesn't have the Upper Air Resistance syndrome as he is going by the "numbers" (?) on the diagnostic results we brought with us. He says according to the numbers he should have been diagnosed with mild sleep apnea, that he is on the line. He basically wants to do it again and the way I took it that he might be there himself for part of it while my husband is doing the test? Maybe I miss understood, but he for sure will be the one that reads the tests this time because he just finished "getting his degree" in doing so.
Sounds like the first study showed an RDI of 8.3, and this new doc does not believe in UARS, so he says the number should really be AHI. I know this is confusing, but there is a war out there right now over whether or not to even consider UARS as a real syndrome. I'm sorry you got stuck in the middle of this. Oh, and I seriously doubt he will be there when your husband gets the study, but if he is, I would sure like to hear about it!
So I hope that we aren't being taken for here. My husband has good insurance and my concern was that the insurance would deny him of another one this close. I told the dr my concern. He said he would personally talk to them, even if he had to talk to the ins. medical dr himself. He said he would all be taken care of when my husband comes for the test. We'll see. 
BTW, there is also some controversy over whether attended sleep studies are really necessary, when other measures are available. If you want to read the 35 page CMS report that came out this week, I can tell you where to find it, but it may put you to sleep better than a PAP machine. I think it's interesting, but that's me. Your sleep physician will not be happy about this new report, unless he's special. It even allows home monitoring to diagnose the need for PAP therapy.[/b]
_________________ Kent Smith DDS
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| Tue Mar 18, 2008 1:04 am |
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Kent Smith
Joined: 31 Aug 2006
Posts: 62
Location: Irving, Texas
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homeschoolmom2 wrote:Well the ENT did say that the thing that hangs in the back of our throat ( ) was sagging very low and it should be surgerically be taken care of but he said most ins. won't let him do that right at first because they considered it cosmetic surgery (geez!). So he said usually a cpap has to be tried first. So maybe we did get a good ENT? I hope so! Thanks for your reply!
Research has shown a lower PAP compliance with mild OSA or UARS, so if your husband successfully wears this for a significant amount of time, he has beat the odds. However, IF he does give up on the PAP, just remember that surgery is NOT the only other choice.
_________________ Kent Smith DDS
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| Tue Mar 18, 2008 1:11 am |
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