Obstructive sleep apnea requires a 10-year follow up. Since patients who were diagnosed and treated
for obstructive sleep apnea usually have accompanying illnesses, these patients should be followed up
regularly to see if the treatment is effective in solving their snoring. Also, many of these patients are
prescribed with CPAP or dental devices where monitoring of its possible adverse effects is essential.
Follow-up for patients should be individualized. Some of the important pointers patient should
remember are:
a. Patients on CPAP
It would take a longer time to acclimatize to the CPAP. But you should notice an improvement in
fatigue and sleepiness once you get the hand of the CPAP. If you notice no improvement in your
sleepiness, you should seek consultation to your physician, however, you should remember that
sleepiness due to insomnia will not be treated by CPAP.
When using the CPAP, you should not be snoring. Sometimes, the air leaking out of the mask can be
mistaken as a snore. Observation and making sure that the mask fits you snugly should be done. The
CPAP should be check for malfunction if ever there are no problems with the mask.
b. Patients on Post-surgery
Follow up care for patients after surgery is individualized. For example, if a patient had tracheostomy
to relieve the airway obstruction, this patient should have more rigorous follow-up care. Tracheostomy
care should be taught to the patient and the relative, if not to an able caregiver.
Follow up visits should be taken to the surgeon who did the procedure. If you don’t notice any
improvement of symptoms after the procedure, you should feel free to contact your physician and
consider further tests or further treatment options.
c. Patients with Oral Appliance
Oral appliances are fitted according to the individuals’ size. If there are questions regarding the fit of
the appliance, you should consult the dentist who fitted the appliance. Re-evaluation should be done
at least every 6 months to determine effectiveness of the appliance in alleviating your symptoms and
check maladjustments. If needed, a new device could be prescribed to you to ensure the treatments’
efficiency.
d. Problems with breathing\nasal problems
Specific nasal problems or breathing problems need to be addressed according to its nature:
e. Nasal congestion
This may be due to allergic reaction, from a cold or a sinus infection. Unless you experience sinus pain
or cough, the symptoms mentioned are not contraindicated with the use of CPAP. However, you should
consult your physician for its treatment. If you find it difficult to breathe with a stuffy nose, sleeping
in reclining position may best suit you rather than in a side-lying one. In addition, humidifiers can also
alleviate nasal congestion.
f. Runny nose
A high setting on the CPAP humidifier can cause rhinorrhea or runny nose. In this case, changing the
humidification setting will solve this problem.
g. Nosebleeds
Nosebleeds during CPAP use may be due to the humidifying action of the CPAP. Nasal sprays should be
used as a first aid treatment, and then a trip to the physician should be done for re-evaluation of your
health or the device.Chapter 10. How to diagnose OSA
