spain Posted June 25, 2005 Share Posted June 25, 2005 Trainer Phil: I know you have seen a variety of injuries/surgeries in the NFL. But here is a new for you: White's death prompts Odom to have surgery By JIM WYATT Staff Writer Titans defensive end Antwan Odom remembers waking up with his T-shirt soaking wet every morning. He admitted he couldn't keep from falling asleep during his classes at the University of Alabama. It wasn't that he was bored. His body just always seemed to be tired. A trip to the doctor revealed sleep apnea, a disorder characterized by interruptions in breathing during sleep that last 10 seconds or more, at least five times per hour. Odom began wearing a nasal mask while he slept that helped him breathe. But Odom received a jolt in December when former NFL star Reggie White died at age 43. The death was linked to sleep apnea, and prompted Odom to have surgery to get his condition corrected. Odom is scheduled to have surgery on Monday in Nashville. "When I saw what happened to him, that scared me big-time,'' Odom said of White, the former University of Tennessee star who also played defensive end. "I definitely want to get it corrected. Hopefully this will do it.'' A person suffering from sleep apnea stops breathing during sleep when his or her airway collapses, preventing air from getting into the lungs. While most people awake occasionally during the night, Odom found himself waking up repeatedly for years before he went to doctors for a series of tests. Among other things, Odom said, it was discovered he has abnormal tonsils. Monday's procedure will remove them altogether. Recent studies suggest men between the ages of 20-29 with severe sleep apnea have 10 times the risk of dying from heart-related ailments than their peers in the general population. Odom, 23, said he hopes his surgery will allow him to sleep better, without the noisy machine he's used the past several years, and help him feel better overall. The Titans hope a better night's sleep for Odom, who has added roughly 15 pounds to his 6-foot-4 frame this offseason, will help him become a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks. "A lot of people don't know about (sleep apnea), but it is something I have had to deal with pretty much my whole life,'' Odom said. "I didn't realize it until I was diagnosed, and the hope is that (surgery) will get it fixed, at the least there is a higher chance of solving it. "It's not good when you think about waking up because you've stopped breathing.'' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swampnuts Posted June 25, 2005 Share Posted June 25, 2005 Sleep Apnea is brutal on the heart. Many men dismiss the signs/symptoms and it goes undiagnosed for years. Note to all huddlers: If you think you could possibly have it, see your doctor to set up a sleep study. Ok, enough preaching......back to football. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brentastic Posted June 25, 2005 Share Posted June 25, 2005 Sleep Apnea is brutal on the heart. Many men dismiss the signs/symptoms and it goes undiagnosed for years. Note to all huddlers: If you think you could possibly have it, see your doctor to set up a sleep study. Ok, enough preaching......back to football. 854467[/snapback] This is kind of an eye opener for me. I went on a boat trip a few years back with some work friends and some of their friends, one of which was a doctor. We slept in the same room for the boat trip and he told me I had sleep apnea. It makes sense too, I've always been a tired person no matter how much sleep I get. Guess I'll have to go to the doctor someday and get it checked out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruffian Posted June 25, 2005 Share Posted June 25, 2005 It's real tough on you--not enough rest, reistricted breathing during the night...definitely not something to play around with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seahawks21 Posted June 26, 2005 Share Posted June 26, 2005 Dammit I have feared for years that this is what I may have. A few weeks ago my buddy stayed up all night playing video games while I slept, and mentioned that he knows why I'm always tired, its because I wake up every so often and look around for a second and turn and go back to sleep. Some nights I also have extreme sweating. Wonderful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chargerz Posted June 26, 2005 Share Posted June 26, 2005 If any of you think that you might have sleep apnea, I would encourage you to go to your doctor NOW!!! Sleep apnea can KILL YOU!! Signs of this disorder are loud snoring, repeated tonsillitis, and waking up frequently at night for no good reason. Overweight men (football players, duh) are most susceptible, but it affects women too. Any age can be affected. I was diagnosed with sleep apnea a few years ago after sleep studies showed that I actually stopped breathing 400 times a night!!! I also have large tonsils and adenoids but decided to forego a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy because of the nasty postop course in adults. Instead I use a CPAP machine which attaches over my nose and forces air into my airway and keeps it open. I have never slept better, and my snoring has stopped. My dad had heart disease, snored, was overweight, and died in his sleep. If you think you might have sleep apnea, don't let it kill you too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keggerz Posted June 26, 2005 Share Posted June 26, 2005 If any of you think that you might have sleep apnea, I would encourage you to go to your doctor NOW!!! Sleep apnea can KILL YOU!! Signs of this disorder are loud snoring, repeated tonsillitis, and waking up frequently at night for no good reason. Overweight men (football players, duh) are most susceptible, but it affects women too. Any age can be affected. I was diagnosed with sleep apnea a few years ago after sleep studies showed that I actually stopped breathing 400 times a night!!! I also have large tonsils and adenoids but decided to forego a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy because of the nasty postop course in adults. Instead I use a CPAP machine which attaches over my nose and forces air into my airway and keeps it open. I have never slept better, and my snoring has stopped. My dad had heart disease, snored, was overweight, and died in his sleep. If you think you might have sleep apnea, don't let it kill you too. 854709[/snapback] do you have to be overweight? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithkt Posted June 26, 2005 Share Posted June 26, 2005 do you have to be overweight? 854964[/snapback] No, but it can exagerate the problem. I had it. Like Chargerz my sleep study revealed I stopped breathing over 600 times in one night. I opted to have the surgery to correct it which included removal of the adnoids and some excess tissue in the throat. Took weeks before I could eat properly again, but it was well worth it. I sleep much better now and my wife tells me the snoring is almost non-existant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgcoach Posted June 26, 2005 Share Posted June 26, 2005 If any of you think that you might have sleep apnea, I would encourage you to go to your doctor NOW!!! Sleep apnea can KILL YOU!! Signs of this disorder are loud snoring, repeated tonsillitis, and waking up frequently at night for no good reason. Overweight men (football players, duh) are most susceptible, but it affects women too. Any age can be affected. I was diagnosed with sleep apnea a few years ago after sleep studies showed that I actually stopped breathing 400 times a night!!! I also have large tonsils and adenoids but decided to forego a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy because of the nasty postop course in adults. Instead I use a CPAP machine which attaches over my nose and forces air into my airway and keeps it open. I have never slept better, and my snoring has stopped. My dad had heart disease, snored, was overweight, and died in his sleep. If you think you might have sleep apnea, don't let it kill you too. 854709[/snapback] My brother had the same problem and is using the machine also. He's a state trooper and I think it was really affecting his job. He was forced to have it checked out. He had no idea what it was and was surprized when they actually diagnosed it. The wieght does have a lot to do with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brentastic Posted June 26, 2005 Share Posted June 26, 2005 Do you have to go to a sleep clinic to study your sleep? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chargerz Posted June 27, 2005 Share Posted June 27, 2005 (edited) Do you have to go to a sleep clinic to study your sleep? 855015[/snapback] Not usually. Kaiser has sleep disorder consultants through the neurology department, and it's a covered benefit. Check with your health insurance carrier for details about this in your plan. If you don't have insurance, there are sleep centers popping up all over the country. The sleep study usually lasts one night AT HOME with monitors connected to you (oxygen sensor on your finger, one monitor strap around your chest and nasal canulae in your nose; you connect these yourself; it's easy). You take it all back, and several days later you should get a report. Edited June 27, 2005 by Chargerz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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