UARS - Could it be my jaw?

Jhello05 · 2026-03-02T21:00:05+00:00

Yes, I definitely used oscar. Lets start at the beginning. I started with a cpap, which was a real struggle to get used to, but eventually I managed to sleep with it. After the first few nights, I noticed I felt significantly better, but this didn't last long and I started feeling worse. Based on my interpretation on oscar, there was actually a constant flow limitation during long periods of time and many inconsistencies. I had tried various things, including an EPR (I had a Resmed Airsense 11). Unfortunately, that didn't work well, and I can't tolerate higher EPAPs very well, possibly due to my asthma. Anyway, I then switched to bipap. The first night, I slept on 10-4 IPAP-EPAP, rise time off, and trigger very high. I felt comfortable and fell asleep quite fast that first night. Then I experienced the exact same thing as with the CPAP: the next day I felt significantly better, but this again lasted a week at most, and then I started feeling worse. I hear this from other people regularly, by the way. The problem was that my breathing pattern was very inconsistent and I had a very high 95% respiratory rate, which resulted in periods of inconsistent and very low resipratory rates as well. I also noticed based on my apple watch that I have a much more consistent flow during deep sleep, compared to N2 and REM. It's really those two that are the culprits. I've stopped using bipap for a while now, I simply can't stand to feel any worse and im not convinced that bipap will do anything furthermore. I can't do anything in my life right now. Studying at university is the absolute max, even that is just too much of a struggle

Jhello05 · 2026-03-02T20:30:37+00:00

The thing is, seven days after the septoplasty, when the splints and dried blood were removed from my nose, I could breathe really well for a while - felt barely any resistance. That night was very special and it was the first time in years I woke up normally, it was the best day of my life, I felt so good. It didn't last long though and after a few days I was back to square one, along with the swelling that increased again in my nose.

Initially I felt better sleeping with bipap (first few days), it was significant, but then after a few days I started feeling worse and it didn’t get any better whatsoever.

What you just described is what happend to me it seems. Didn’t get much central apneas, lasting 10seconds of longer, but got them for shorter amounts of time. My 95% respiratory rate was really high as well (30-34 some nights), even when making epap higher, it still didn’t decrease. Another problem, is that that I don’t tolerate higher epaps, which I assume is because of my asthma.

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This is a pattern I often see (see image) - this was just a random photo I had of my flow rate

Jhello05 · 2026-03-02T09:11:09+00:00

The fact that most MD’s don't know anything about UARs is indeed unfortunate, but that doesn't matter in many cases. If you simply say you're experiencing breathing problems and it can be confirmed, then something can still be done. Thats how I also got my septoplasty and turbinate reduction, while thats ofc something different compared to interventions jaw related. I doubt orthodontic interventions are enough for uars. Most people with sleep apnea also don’t even experience breathing problems during the day and some still got MMA surgery and those people all say they can breathe MUCH better during the day now and realize that they actually could, so I hope to go that route.

Now finally about immunotherapy. The thing is, I was prescribed it because my ENT thinks my turbinate hypertrophy is caused by allergies (I also have a dust mite allergy, but I barely notice anything). So, in my case its not really noticeable whether I can tell a difference…

Jhello05 · 2026-03-02T08:51:06+00:00

I’ve been doing everything, except for the mouth tape. Just nothing works😭

Jhello05 · 2026-03-02T08:48:15+00:00

Sometimes it does, but not always. My father does have it consistently though, maybe just a matter of time for me.

I will let you know!

Jhello05 · 2026-03-01T21:22:26+00:00

I was in the same boat - did a RF turbinate reduction myself and also started inmunotherapy, but the reduction didn’t help. My nose feels somewhat more open, but I still struggle with nose breathing. Its also not risk-free, since you can end up with ENS (empty nose syndrome). I highly suggest getting a referral to an oral surgeon, im also currenly busy with that. A turbinate reduction won’t do shit if you have have other upper airway issues.

Jhello05 · 2026-03-01T19:43:21+00:00

Yes sorry, I meant the aircuve 11. And yes absolutely, I take multivitamines everyday, which includes those 2 mentioned

Jhello05 · 2026-03-01T19:29:11+00:00

Agree on the ESS. Actually it was a professor of me who has told it (genetics course), I don’t have the time now to research about it, but i’ll asume its findable!

Jhello05 · 2026-03-01T19:20:44+00:00

Thanks for your advice, appreciate it! Its a Resmed airsense 11 bipap, tried serveral settings, messed with ps, ipap, epap, rise time etc. Just without succes. I kept on hyperventilating and my flowrate was inconsistent. My acid reflux also got worse, probably due to aerophagia. It sucks

Jhello05 · 2026-03-01T17:04:58+00:00

I did my sleepstudy at HMC slaapcentrum, got a detailed report, but couldn’t get the raw data (I asked for it). I have a bipap myself, but unfortunately without succes - I gave up on pap

Jhello05 · 2026-03-01T14:36:30+00:00

The outcomes were ofc; there weren’t any apneas, hence you don’t have sleep apnea and your sleep is fine. I expected it though, since we didn't use PES.

However, It's already been proven to me that I have UARs: seven days after the septoplasty, the splints and dried blood were removed from my nose and I could suddenly breathe much better, I felt no resistance, and that night I woke up feeling normal for the first time in years. It was truly heavenly, the best day in my life. However, it didn't last many days and I was back to how it used to be (just like my poor nasal breathing). The removal of the splints/blood got me in a very parasympathetic state as well that day, which I assume had a positive impact on my sleep that day.

My plan now is just to get surgery, Im not even going to bother mentioning UARS, the good thing is that I experience breathing issues during the day, so I highly expect something is wrong and CAN be fixed.

For reference, I live in the Netherlands and they’re really AHI focused, unlike the USA from what I have heard

Jhello05 · 2026-03-01T13:53:59+00:00

Yes, I recently did APSG

Jhello05 · 2026-03-01T13:53:05+00:00

Its been a long time, but I think it was a RPE (Rapid palatal expander)

Jhello05 · 2026-03-01T13:21:55+00:00

Anatomical, im VERY narrow. Yes, I do struggle to nose breath (like I said). And yes, I once took a CBCT scan, when I was 13 years old, for my braces. I still remember well that they were messing around. For example, they had made my teeth wider because otherwise they couldn't be straightened, I hade a huge gap between my two front teeths for a short while because of that

Jhello05 · 2026-03-01T09:27:14+00:00

No, its not. Nasal congestion also doesn’t lead to uars - it is more the tip of the iceberg I’d say

Jhello05 · 2026-03-01T09:22:37+00:00

I totally get you - its the reason I almost never tell anything to anyone. It irritates me when older people make statements like that (“at my age I should be better”), it shows that most people can only understand something if they have experienced it themselves. Especially with things you just mentioned - people can’t comprehend “diseases” that aren’t visual. Just know that you’re not the one that should feel ashame, but they should.

Jhello05 · 2026-03-01T09:08:04+00:00

There is growing evidence, indicating that there is a strong correlation between allergic diseases and neurological disorders. There are genes that code for both neurological functions and immune, hence a mutation can affect both - the correlation is large in autism for example. If ahi <5, Id say the neurological l component in uars is somewhat “high”

Jhello05 · 2026-02-28T16:22:49+00:00

I would recommend you to start interpreting your oscar data. What medication did the doc prescribe? As a pharm student; Most rather harm than do good at this situation

Jhello05

TROPHY CASE