AIRWAY SIZE? SLEEP APNEA?

[Lazlo]

How large is your airway in mm? I learned today mine was 2.88 mm and that it probably gets even smaller while I sleep. The surgeon said the average or ideal is around 11mm. Also I have large turbinites which are significantly constricting the airflow through my nose as well.  I'm at high risk for sleep apnea and have a sleep apnea test in May. He said to increase airway size I'd need at least 1cm of upper jaw advancement!

Does any one else know the size of their airways? Anyone had a sleep apnea test? What were the results? Please help me understand all this better.

[Kristen]

At the smallest point behind the jaws it is 2mm.   That  alone is reason for surgery.   Plan on getting sleep apnea test in spring.

[Lazlo]

It's freaking me out to know that I've been having such poor oxygen circulation throughout the night. Now I realize why I wake up so incredibly exhausted all the time...

[treevernal]

Mine was 3mm before surgery.  I sleep so much better now.

[Lazlo]

Mine was 3mm before surgery.  I sleep so much better now.

Tree do you know how big your airway is now?

[funnybones]

My airway was measured at 3mm², which is the minimal cross-sectional area from a CT scan. It was estimated that my jaw advancement would need to be 1.5cm, with CCW rotation too.

[Marisama]

I sleep much deeper now as well. It makes such a difference.

[treevernal]

Tree do you know how big your airway is now?

I don't know the exact measurements but its about 4x bigger.

[Suspicous_minds]

How to have the airways checked?
I think Ive sleep apnea too...I breath trough my mouth during my sleep.

[Lazlo]

How to have the airways checked?
I think Ive sleep apnea too...I breath trough my mouth during my sleep.

you probably do then. mouth breathing is terrible. go to your general practitioner and ask him to refer you for an overnight sleep test --that's how they'll measure it all. But they may offer all sorts of non-surgical corrections (cpap machine, adenoid/tonsil removal/you may have a deviated septum) --so if you're diagnosed then you're going to have to assess all the options. the most extreme is of course jaw surgery. if the problem is that you have a narrow breathing passage (a consult/x-ray with a maxillofacial surgeon will be able to figure that out). Just remember everyone is going to push their own modality to fix your problem. The only way to fix a narrow airway is through jaw surgery. The deviated septum eetc. can be fixed during surgery if your surgeon is versatile.

[Suspicous_minds]

you probably do then. mouth breathing is terrible. go to your general practitioner and ask him to refer you for an overnight sleep test --that's how they'll measure it all. But they may offer all sorts of non-surgical corrections (cpap machine, adenoid/tonsil removal/you may have a deviated septum) --so if you're diagnosed then you're going to have to assess all the options. the most extreme is of course jaw surgery. if the problem is that you have a narrow breathing passage (a consult/x-ray with a maxillofacial surgeon will be able to figure that out). Just remember everyone is going to push their own modality to fix your problem. The only way to fix a narrow airway is through jaw surgery. The deviated septum eetc. can be fixed during surgery if your surgeon is versatile.

Thanks a million for such detailed answer.
Thank you endlessly 

[treevernal]

you probably do then. mouth breathing is terrible. go to your general practitioner and ask him to refer you for an overnight sleep test --that's how they'll measure it all. But they may offer all sorts of non-surgical corrections (cpap machine, adenoid/tonsil removal/you may have a deviated septum) --so if you're diagnosed then you're going to have to assess all the options. the most extreme is of course jaw surgery. if the problem is that you have a narrow breathing passage (a consult/x-ray with a maxillofacial surgeon will be able to figure that out). Just remember everyone is going to push their own modality to fix your problem. The only way to fix a narrow airway is through jaw surgery. The deviated septum eetc. can be fixed during surgery if your surgeon is versatile.

I remember reading that jaw surgery is the only surgery that fixes a restricted airway at the source. 

[Lazlo]

Thanks a million for such detailed answer.
Thank you endlessly 

no problem, i know how stressful this is and how important it is to get the right information.