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Ok Not sure how to ask this question but here goes it.
I went to an ENT Doctor about headaches due to my sinuses being so clogged and when they are clogged in my nose I get loud sounds in my head, and I wake up with those sounds and a headache. When I sit up for a about 15 minutes my sinuses clear up and my headache goes away. I only have one vent in my bedroom so I don't get enough air circulation which could contribute to the problem. Also I smacked my forehead a few years ago and that sound which is best described as an distorted acoustic sound started about 3 years later. I had a scan done and so far nothing of concern found.
The ENT Doctor refused to prescribe nasal spray that I desperately needed to make my sinus clear up while I sleep. This Doctor looked all around inside my mouth more that he barely bothered to look into my ears and nose. He said I grind my teeth see a Dentist. What an ass that one is. He is not a Dentist so why the hell is is pretending to know about my teeth. I suspect that is because a journalist got bored or just simply need something to make up to write about on the internet. I say that because I did see an article a few weeks on the internet saying people do not go to their Dentist as often as they should. So this ENT Doctor figures that's my problem, grinding my teeth. He had no clue I see my Dentist more often than usual due to getting crowns replaced, root canal, and other work done.
Ok so I tell the same symptoms to my endocrinologist that told my ENT Doctor. Headaches, acoustic sound when my sinuses are stuffed up, and it goes away when I sit up for abbot 15 minutes. This Doctor tells me it's my sugar. I'm like what my sugar stuffs up my sinuses and creates that acoustic sound?? Well my sugar is a bit high since covid. But my A1c is the same from the last two years. She tells me I have sleep apnea and need to have that CPAP contraption to wear at night. I'm not wearing that thing on my face.
About a year later, maybe later, I go to my Eye Doctor because I felt like my eye might be getting an infection. This one discovers an eye infection and prescribes eye drops 3x a day. She also tells me I have sleep apnea, what why would she say that? I never told about stuffed up sinus, headaches, or that acoustic sound in my head when my sinuses are stuffed up. Then tells me women with large breasts and overweight get sleep apnea. She tries to scare by saying it will cause heart problems, and then rattles off a slew of medical problems sleep apnea can cause. I dread going back for a follow up with this one.
I have an oximeter I frequently use so my oxygen is fine so is my heart rate. I don't have high blood pressure. After being away 5 hours many times I need a nap. I wasn't sure if it was from boredom being inside all day or not getting enough sleep. I did notice one thing I didn't keep up with and that is not drinking enough plain water in the morning after coffee and breakfast. Water helps get a boost of energy.
What is going on with these Doctors. An ENT is a Dentist all of a sudden. An Endocrinologist is a Pulmonary Doctor all of a sudden. Now an eye Doctor is an expert on large breasted patients with the assumption that the patient based on size is not breathing while sleeping. Sorry this is long I wasn't sure how to phrase it all without repeating.
It doesn't take a dentist to tell that you grind youor teeth. It's eaily spotted just by looking at the wear patterns on your teeth.
All doctors received training in most areas of medicine. Just because someone is one specialty, doesn't mean they know nothing about another specialty. Are they experts? Probably not. Do they know something? Yes, absolutely.
If you have three doctors telling you that you many have sleep apnea, you may want to do a sleep study to see if you have sleep apnea. It's not normal to need a nap after being up for 5 hours. And apnea is something that will cause that. Given the other information you've shared, sleep apnea does not sound far fetched. But seeing as you won't actually do what's needed to help with that, then maybe getting a diagnosis would just be a waste of time and money.
I am by no means one to just jump to the defense of doctors. I had a serious diagnosis that was mis-diagnosed by at least a dozen doctors for a year, most of whom just dismissed it as anxiety. But it sounds like the doctors you have seen, although maybe not the greatest, aren't completely off the mark. It sounds like you just don't want to hear what they have to say. You have high blood sugar, but you get upset when a doctor mentions that. You may likely have sleep apnea, but you get upset when a doctor mentions that. You grind your teeth (not the end of the world, I do too), but you get upset when a doctor mentions that. I get that these things were mentioned by doctors of different specialties, but they are still doctors who have a fair amount of knowledge of these things.
The eye doctor lecturing you about sleep apnea is the weirdest one. And I don't understand why the sleep apnea topic keeps coming up. How would the endocrinologist know if you have apnea? On what basis did he make that determination?
But maybe stuffed sinuses is a symptom of apnea, I wouldn't know. Effective nasal sprays are now available OTC, btw. Try Flonase before bed.
CPAPs these days no longer involve a mask on your face. They have a little insert for your nostrils now. That's not the part that bothers me, personally, though. I couldn't tolerate the sensation of having air literally shoved down my throat all night. YMMV.
In any case, these people aren't sleep clinicians. Did any of these doctors suggest or give you a written order for a sleep study? That's what they usually do, if they believe someone is likely to have apnea.
It doesn't take a dentist to tell that you grind youor teeth. It's eaily spotted just by looking at the wear patterns on your teeth.
All doctors received training in most areas of medicine. Just because someone is one specialty, doesn't mean they know nothing about another specialty. Are they experts? Probably not. Do they know something? Yes, absolutely.
If you have three doctors telling you that you many have sleep apnea, you may want to do a sleep study to see if you have sleep apnea. It's not normal to need a nap after being up for 5 hours. And apnea is something that will cause that. Given the other information you've shared, sleep apnea does not sound far fetched. But seeing as you won't actually do what's needed to help with that, then maybe getting a diagnosis would just be a waste of time and money.
I am by no means one to just jump to the defense of doctors. I had a serious diagnosis that was mis-diagnosed by at least a dozen doctors for a year, most of whom just dismissed it as anxiety. But it sounds like the doctors you have seen, although maybe not the greatest, aren't completely off the mark. It sounds like you just don't want to hear what they have to say. You have high blood sugar, but you get upset when a doctor mentions that. You may likely have sleep apnea, but you get upset when a doctor mentions that. You grind your teeth (not the end of the world, I do too), but you get upset when a doctor mentions that. I get that these things were mentioned by doctors of different specialties, but they are still doctors who have a fair amount of knowledge of these things.
Thank you for answering me. So far it's only the Endocrinologist and the eye specialist who said I have sleep apnea. The ENT Doctor said I grind while sleeping not sure that is correct. I had braces up to my late teens and now most of my teeth are crowned. My Dentist has never said anything about me teeth grinding so to me it made no sense and he refused to allow me to have nasal spray that now since I dropped this Doctor I got from another Doctor and the headaches and that sound are gone. You are so right that I don't like being told I have sleep apnea without any testing being done first and solely based on my weight. Of course I would still be upset if I were diagnosed after the testing but eventually I might accept it. I just don't like the automatic assumption without any indication that I wake up from not breathing. I may very well have it. Another thing I noticed is I wake up in the same exact position I was in when I went to bed. I only wake up really early in the morning to go to the bathroom then back to bed and wake up around 7 to 8 am. I go to bed around 11pm. Yes it isn't normal to need a nap around 1pm. I make most of my appointments around that time now. It doesn't always help to because sometimes I then need a nap later around 3 or 4pm.
The eye doctor lecturing you about sleep apnea is the weirdest one. And I don't understand why the sleep apnea topic keeps coming up. How would the endocrinologist know if you have apnea? On what basis did he make that determination?
But maybe stuffed sinuses is a symptom of apnea, I wouldn't know. Effective nasal sprays are now available OTC, btw. Try Flonase before bed.
CPAPs these days no longer involve a mask on your face. They have a little insert for your nostrils now. That's not the part that bothers me, personally, though. I couldn't tolerate the sensation of having air literally shoved down my throat all night. YMMV.
In any case, these people aren't sleep clinicians. Did any of these doctors suggest or give you a written order for a sleep study? That's what they usually do, if they believe someone is likely to have apnea.
I forgot to mention that I told my Endocrinologist that I get night sweats most of the time. But as I said I have only one vent in my bedroom that isn't much circulation for breathing or for comfort in the summer. So far it looks to me like they are pushing for the CPAP device and I don't know if it's because they have an investment in prescribing it or they may be able to charge extra for prescribing it. They never refer me to a Doctor or for sleeping tests so that in of itself is strange to me. The eye Doctor saying this due to my large chest makes no sense to me but she did say people with a large chest or more weight on the front get sleep apnea.
An insert in the nose, aw geez I don't want that either. I know a few people with sleep apnea. One of them actually fell asleep while driving a block away from home. That hasn't happened to me and water seems to help me. If I do this test I don't want it in some strange place and I have a feeling I won't trust that they make the what ever device say I stop breathing when I don't. Yes I am suspicious of that too. I just don't get what the big push to sell the CPAP devices
You seem certain that they TOLD you that you actually had sleep apnea. I wonder though - they probably said that you are LIKELY to have sleep apnea. You can't get a CPAP (or any other equipment) without an actual diagnosis with testing done - so you would have to be referred for that anyway. Maybe you need a nap because of your poor sleep due to sleep apnea - do you not see any kind of pattern here?
Why do you get so insulted? Sounds like you just don't like getting bad news and think you know best. If so, then prescribe for yourself whatever you need. Oh right, you need a doctor to do that.
It used to be you couldn't just go to any specialist on your own - you needed a referral from (most likely) your GP to even get in to see someone else. So of course your GP has some general ability and obligation to look for issues that may be best treated by ANOTHER doctor. That is part of their actual job!
I forgot to mention that I told my Endocrinologist that I get night sweats most of the time. But as I said I have only one vent in my bedroom that isn't much circulation for breathing or for comfort in the summer. So far it looks to me like they are pushing for the CPAP device and I don't know if it's because they have an investment in prescribing it or they may be able to charge extra for prescribing it. They never refer me to a Doctor or for sleeping tests so that in of itself is strange to me. The eye Doctor saying this due to my large chest makes no sense to me but she did say people with a large chest or more weight on the front get sleep apnea.
An insert in the nose, aw geez I don't want that either. I know a few people with sleep apnea. One of them actually fell asleep while driving a block away from home. That hasn't happened to me and water seems to help me. If I do this test I don't want it in some strange place and I have a feeling I won't trust that they make the what ever device say I stop breathing when I don't. Yes I am suspicious of that too. I just don't get what the big push to sell the CPAP devices
Me, either. I went to a dentist, who specializes in diagnosing and custom-making dental inserts for the apnea issue. First, he takes x-rays of the nasal and throat passages, to see if the patient is a good candidate for the device. He was incredibly well-informed about sleep issues, more so than the so-called "sleep experts" or "sleep doctors" who run the sleep studies. He said, that estrogen loss after a certain age causes apnea in women. Replace the estrogen (via HRT) and it goes away or improves.
I don't know if that's relevant to your situation, but I just thought I'd mention it. If you're a good candidate for it, HRT seems to be to be a much simpler solution than buying or renting a machine and carting it around with you when you travel.
My hub had/has some mild sleep issues and his GP suggested a sleep study to eliminate things if they didn't show up. Hub never did sleep study because nurse said sleep study doc RX'd CPAP to everyone. This is hearsay of course but it sounded to hub like CPAP was being handed out like candy and he just didn't wanna jump on it.
This was in Florida where senior citizens tend to believe what doctors tell them. They'll pay $7000 for hearing aids instead of going to Costco and paying $1500 for same name brand made for Costco.
With nice overnight temps lately we've been opening bedroom window for more fresh air and it's been great. Hub may eventually ask his current doc about sleep issues when/if it becomes more of a problem. We don't live in FL anymore so will see what happens.
My research on sleep problems is there seems to be no clear answers, test this, try this. That's been a recurrent theme my whole life with doctors unless antibiotics needed.
If you have a small mouth and airway you are more likely to have sleep apnea. I thought mine would go away when I lost 50lbs which it mostly did but my oxygen level drops too low while I sleep. Machines have a automatic slow ramp up so the air doesn’t come fast until you are asleep. My machine broke and I had to wait 2 weeks for a new one and during that time my blood pressure went up a lot and I felt like crap. If you have untreated sleep apnea it damages your organs and shortens your life.
I've had my CPAP for almost 20 years now. I can't imagine sleeping without it.
OP your sinus issues could be helped with a CPAP. The continuous air flow is a godsend in a room with only one vent.
What does it hurt to get it checked? Okay - there is a cost, but is it better to just believe it is something YOU think it is versus what the DOCTORS are telling you?
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