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I haven't been tested. Doctor just said "My gosh, due to your sheer size, you must have sleep apnea." LOL. My husband says that I stop breathing every night, and that I snore a lot (NEVER snored before I got fat). I don't know what the test entails... I'm terrified. Can you tell me?

Also, what is the difference between Upper Airway Resistance and sleep apnea? Not being snotty, genuinely want to know.

lmggallagher had a great explanation of UARS and OSA.


I am a dentist and have simple pulse oximeters that we use to "screen" for these conditions. . .it helps in making an informed referral to a sleep lab. While most labs will encourage you to have a PSG (polysomnogram) "attended sleep study" in house, many are using home devices that get more information than my high resolution pulse oximeters but less, usually, than the PSG.

Want to learn more about sleep? I would strongly recommend "Sleep Interrupted" by Dr. Steven Y. Park.

He discusses LPRG/silent GERD, laryngophayyngeal reflux disease and airway obstruction on page 5.

UARS is discussed in detail beginning on page 28. (You can have UARS and NOT have OSA). These are symptoms that are often associated with UARS:

Sleep Onset Insomnia
Headaches
TMD
GERD
Runny Nose
Hypothyroidism
Asthma
Migranes
Asthma
IBS
Fibromyalgia
Depression

If you have a screening, please post your
>4% oxygen desaturations
2-4% desaturations ... associated with UARS

Hope this helps.

MtnMike:

Thanks for the Dentist's knowledge base on UARS and Apnea, really informative information!!!

I completely fit your the list of UARS symptoms to a tee. It's really good to know that you are aware of the things to watch out for as a dentist. I was really upset, after suffering years UARS, that the all of my medical practitioners ruled out any other sleep disorder based on the fact I answered - "No I don't snore".

Maybe you could inform us also on the dental appliances that are supposed to move the lower jaw forward, do these work as well or better than the CPAP devices?

thanks - Michelle