Sleepless through the Ages

As seen in the September 2009 issue of Healthwise

Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a hot health topic these days, yet OSA has been a debilitating and often fatal disorder for quite some time. It’s widely known that Reggie White’s death was attributed to OSA, but long before that, President Howard Taft was also afflicted by OSA. Not only has OSA affected people through the ages, but in fact can affect people of all ages and regardless of gender.

OSA is dangerous. Essentially it causes you to stop breathing during sleep, often for up to a minute and it’s not uncommon for these pauses in breathing to occur hundreds of times a night. Left untreated, it can result in serious health concerns including:

  • Type 2 diabetes
  • High blood pressure
  • Increased risk of heart attack and stroke
  • Sexual dysfunction
  • Fatigue-related motor vehicle accidents
  • Work related accidents
  • An overall decrease in quality of life due to excessive daytime sleepiness

Karen Block, Owner of Endeavor Therapy & Sleep Center located in Mequon, WI, states, “Many sufferers are unaware that they have OSA. Often a partner or roommate identifies a problem of excessive snoring often characterized by moments of silence and then gasping/choking as the individual breathes in air.”

Common symptoms include: excessive daytime fatigue, insomnia, loud snoring, dry mouth, morning headaches, depression and decreased libido or erectile dysfunction. If you have noticed any of the common symptoms of sleep apnea seek diagnosis and treatment.

While it’s commonly thought that OSA predominantly afflicts middle-age, overweight men – typically with necks over 17”, it’s becoming apparent that women and even children as young as ten years old and men of average weight and size can suffer from OSA and need to get diagnosed.
 
It’s easy to diagnose OSA with a sleep study conducted at a sleep diagnostic facility. Block recommends that you have your study conducted at an independent testing facility, like Endeavor, that specializes in sleep medicine. She suggests you shop around due to the difference in amounts insurance pays the independent facilities versus the larger medical affiliations. Due to the economy and higher deductibles, more and more patients are taking control of their health care costs. They’re calling ahead and inquiring about the total cost of services. And they are finding out there is a very wide range of charges/out of pocket costs for similar services.

“If you are not certain if you need a full sleep study, start with an ApneaLink screening,” Block advises. “The ApneaLink is a simple, portable device that you can take home and then bring back to the sleep center for results. The screening detects abnormal breathing patterns during sleep to help determine if a full sleep study is needed.”

If you or someone you know shows signs of sleep apnea, take action today. Early diagnosis and treatment can save a life.

For more information about sleep please call Endeavor Therapy & Sleep Center at 262-241-8892 or visit our website at www.endeavortherapyandsleep.com. Endeavor Therapy & sleep Center is conveniently located at 11649 N. Port Washington Rd, in Mequon. We are opened 7 nights a week for our patients’ convenience and have the availability of a board certified sleep physician.