I have always wondered about whether or not sleep apnea had any bearing on getting Parkinson's or advancing progression at a faster rate. And would using a CPAP machine (breathing machine) make any difference. I have used a CPAP machine for about 5 years

How many of you have sleep apnea?

I read an article recently about misfolded proteins in sleep apnea. Although a bit technical, here is an excerpt:

source: Univ. of Pennsylvia School of Medicine
Medical News
http://www.news-medical.net/?id=36503

Peggy

Hi Peg,
I have had sleep apnea for years. I only know that since my wife tells me, otherwise I am not aware of it. I know I should seek medical help, but there always are higher priorities.
It will be interesting to see how many of us have this problem.
Best wishes
Ron

that sleep apnea is the ceasation of breathing for short periods of time in your sleep. I understand that people who snore are often found to have sleep apnea. If we can live with it for years, what is the downside? Is it possible to have it for awhile and then not have it. How would I even suspect that I could have it? Would like to know more...

From the American Sleep Apnea Association:

There are three types of apnea: obstructive, central, and mixed; of the three, obstructive is the most common. Despite the difference in the root cause of each type, in all three, people with untreated sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep, sometimes hundreds of times during the night and often for a minute or longer.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is caused by a blockage of the airway, usually when the soft tissue in the rear of the throat collapses and closes during sleep. In central sleep apnea, the airway is not blocked but the brain fails to signal the muscles to breathe. Mixed apnea, as the name implies, is a combination of the two. With each apnea event, the brain briefly arouses people with sleep apnea in order for them to resume breathing, but consequently sleep is extremely fragmented and of poor quality.

Untreated, sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure and other cardiovascular disease, memory problems, weight gain, impotency, and headaches. Moreover, untreated sleep apnea may be responsible for job impairment and motor vehicle crashes. Fortunately, sleep apnea can be diagnosed and treated. Several treatment options exist, and research into additional options continues

The ASAA goes on to say that sleep apnea is very common (as common as diabetes) yet many go undiagnosed. As Ron said, his wife told him that he gasps for air; the same was true of me and my husband. Hubby told me I wake him up gasping for air, none of whicih I remember. After he continued to complain, I had a sleep study. They hook you up to all sorts of wires (heart, brain, blood pressure, etc. and you spend the night in either a hospital or sleep clinic. You aroe monitoreod as to how many times you gasp for air and actually stopping breathing for short periods, among other readings taken.. I had my study 5 years ago and stopped breathing 40 times in a 5-hour sleeping period. That's not real bad, but bad enough to require a CPAP machine (continuous positive airway pressure).
Peg
The downsid (in my uneducated opinion) would have to do with the brain receiving proeper oxygen levels

My husband has very bad sleep apnea, but he does not have Parkinson's. The down side to having sleep apnea is you do not sleep well, so you are tired during the day. For years, I wanted my husband to go for a sleep study because of his snoring, but he would not go. Finally it got so bad that he would fall sleep many times a day- while sitting at the breakfast table reading the paper, while having a conversation with someone, and while driving. That is what got him to go for the sleep study- he got scared when he started to doze off when driving. When he got his CPAP machine, he loved it immediately. He could sleep like he never had before and he could stay awake during the day. Now he cannot sleep at all without his machine. If he goes anywhere overnight and forgets his machine it is a big problem.

I also have parkinsons and have had both for about 4 years now. I use a cpap machine, but am still extremely sleepy during the day. Taking provigil during the day to stay awake.