cause of asthma/sleep apnea?

[ill13632]

I was working in southeast asia and inhaled a lot of 2nd hand smoke, and noticed some wheezing sometimes, but was fine.
when I returned to the US after a month I began to have sleep apnea and asthma problems, heavy chest, breathing difficulties.  I have a cyst in my clivus, chordoma isn't ruled out by the MRI
what caused my asthma and sleep apnea?

[ill13632]

thanks very much
http://respiratory-research.com/content/12/1/149/abstract

[David Tinkelman, M.D.]

What you describe suggests that you have asthma and given that you had no signs of it for a month after your return, it is likely that your lungs are now reacting to something in your present environment.  It is possible that the inhalation of a lot of 2nd hand smoke has made your bronchial tubes more sensitive to whatever allergen or irritant you are now inhaling.  You and your doctor should look carefully to your present exposures and you may be able to determine the cause of asthma reactivation.  Whatever the cause you and your doctor should work-out a medical regimen to attain optimum control of the asthma.  There are reports of improved control of asthma for persons who are treated successfully for sleep apnea

I see no connection between the smoke inhalation and sleep apnea but there are reports of an association of disease in the area of the clivus (posterior fossa) with sleep apnea.  The best advice I can give is that you seek consultation with a specialist in sleep disorders to assess the possibility that the cyst may be your problem.  

The following is taken from an abstract  in the medical literature that speaks to this association.

Title: The effects of posterior fossa decompressive surgery in adult patients with Chiari malformation and sleep apnea.
SourceJournal of Neurosurgery. 112(4):800-7, 2010 Apr.

Abstract: OBJECT: One of the feared consequences of craniovertebral junction diseases is apnea. Although several cases of patients with central apnea have been described, obstructive sleep apnea has been identified as the most frequent manifestation of sleep respiratory disorder. Neuronal involvement may be responsible for both central and obstructive apneas.

Good luck