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Healthy You Archives |
Coping with Illness
Coping With Sleep ApneaA local woman finds out what a difference treatment makes
“I can’t believe how much more energy I have!”Lorraine Carey used to wake up groggy after 10 hours of sleep. Now, thanks to her CPAP machine, she awakens refreshed after seven or eight hours. An enthusiastic traveler, she took the machine (shown here in its carrying case), on a trip to Australia.Symptoms of Sleep Apnea
When Carey had surgery for an unrelated problem, a nurse noticed her abnormal breathing and recom-mended a sleep study at Lehigh Valley Hospital. There, Carey learned that every couple of minutes her breathing stopped for up to 37 seconds, disturbing her sleep. “No wonder I wasn’t feeling rested!” she says. Her condition was obstructive sleep apnea, an interruption for 10 seconds or longer in a sleeper’s breathing. “It can happen many times a night,” says Richard Strobel, M.D., medical director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. Apnea occurs when the soft tissue in the back of the throat blocks the airway during sleep, interrupting the flow of air. “You partially awaken to re-start your breathing, so you never get enough deep, restorative sleep,” Strobel says. The risk factors for sleep apnea are overweight (especially in the upper body), high blood pressure, diabetes and a family history of the condition or of loud snoring. “Sleep apnea occurs in men and women of all ages and even in children,” Strobel says, “but it is more common in overweight males.” The gold standard of treatment is CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure), says Strobel’s colleague, registered sleep technologist Stephanie Betz. The machine delivers a steady stream of humidified air through a nasal mask to keep the patient’s airway open during sleep. “It’s noninvasive, and most people get used to wearing it in a few weeks,” Betz says. If used correctly, Strobel says, CPAP is more effective than palate surgery or any other treatment. Like Carey, those who’ve suffered from sleep apnea know all too well the importance of a good night’s sleep. “Sleep-deprived people have a higher risk for accidents, memory and concentration problems, irritability, and eventually, high blood pressure and heart disease,” Strobel says. “Sleep is not optional—it is absolutely necessary for good health.”
Want to Know More about what it’s like to have a sleep study, or tips on getting a good night’s sleep? Call 610-402-CARE. This page last updated 10/17/08 02:24 PM
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