Those suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) already have a hard enough time breathing. When you also have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), another common pulmonary disease, you might find yourself dealing with two times the number of breathing problems. When patients suffer from these two diseases simultaneously, their condition is classified as Overlap Syndrome. About 15% of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have overlap syndrome which can lead to fatigue, pulmonary hypertension, and hypercapnia. We’ve put together everything you need to know about the connection between COPD and OSA to ensure you receive the necessary treatment. What Is...

If you’ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea, you might be wondering how often you need to be tested. While most doctors will recommend that patients have the pressure settings of their CPAP machine adjusted annually, needing to schedule additional sleep apnea testing is dependent on the patient’s specific situation. Sleep apnea isn’t something that typically needs testing on a regular schedule. However, retesting for sleep apnea might be recommended by your physician if they believe your treatment needs to be adjusted, you’re continuing to experience symptoms, or you’re a commercial truck driver. Here are a few reasons it might be...

It’s estimated that 3-7% of men and 2-5% of women suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, a sleep disorder that causes the individual to involuntarily stop breathing periodically while they sleep. It varies from person to person, while one individual might only stop breathing a few times throughout the night while another might stop breathing more frequently. With the current environment, recent studies looked to determine if there was a link between COVID-19 and sleep apnea. Let’s find out the verdict. Obstructive Sleep Apnea and COVID-19 Sleep Study Findings According to Sleep Medicine Reviews, a recent study found a link between...

Sleep apnea testing can be confusing, especially if you don’t know someone who has been formally diagnosed. Like with any medical condition, it comes with a whole host of new concerns as well as a set of new terminology you may not be familiar with. If you’ve recently been tested for or diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA, then you may have heard the term Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI). This is an extremely important metric for those with OSA and understanding it is an important step in coming to terms with your sleep apnea.  What is AHI?  The Apnea Hypopnea...

Depending on what type of sleep apnea you have, there will be different factors to account for, such as weight loss to help with obstructive sleep apnea and changing medication to help with central sleep apnea. But something that affects all types of sleep apnea is altitude, specifically, high altitude. Research Links Higher Altitude With Increased Sleep Apnea Even without sleep apnea, going from a lower altitude to a higher altitude can leave a person feeling perpetually winded and quickly out of breath. For those with sleep apnea, higher altitude can definitely make breathing more difficult. In a 2011 study,...