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Obstructive Sleep Apnea Myths Debunked
How many women suffer from obstructive sleep apneaWhat’s the difference between regular snoring and obstructive sleep apnea Can obstructive sleep apnea affect your driving abilities Keep reading for a discussion on all of the above.Following is a guest post written by Dr. Charles W. Atwood, Jr., MD, a board-certified pulmonologist and sleep medicine physician at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System. Read more about him at the end of this post.Obstructive Sleep Apnea OSA Facts: OSA is a sleep disorder in which a persons airway collapses during sleep, preventing air from getting to the lungs. In severe cases, breathing can stop more than 100 times per hour. OSA affects more than 18 million Americans and can cause both short-term and long-term effects on a persons health. Despite the risks associated with OSA, up to 90% of sufferers are undiagnosed, due in part to several common misconceptions.OSA Myths Debunked:Myth: OSA only affects men.Truth: The National Sleep Foundation estimates that 6 million American women suffer from this disorder. New research suggests that OSA is linked to depression and female sexual dysfunction. In addition, gestational OSA can develop in those who are pregnant.Myth: Only older/overweight people have OSA.Truth: While weight can be a contributing factor for the development of OSA, people of all shapes, sizes and ages can be diagnosed with sleep apnea. In those with thin or average builds, excess tissue in the throat or the structure and position of the jaw can play a role in the development of OSA. Other contributing risk factors include the use of alcohol or sedatives - which can relax the tissue and muscles surrounding the upper airway - smoking, a family history and aging.Myth: Im healthy, Im just tired.Truth: The consequences of untreated OSA go far beyond simply leaving a person exhausted and groggy. Obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, stroke and sexual dysfunction are just some of the health problems that are connected to sleep apnea. In fact, a recent study showed that those with obstructive sleep apnea are three times more likely to die from any cause than those without the sleep disorder 1-see footnote.Myth: Everyone snores, whats the problemTruth: Millions of people snore on and off throughout the night, which is a normal part of sleeping. However, heavy snoring that is accompanied by gasping or choking for air is a leading indicator of OSA. Although this process would seem disturbing during sleep, most OSA sufferers are not aware that this cycle repeats itself hundreds of times every night.Myth: I am tired because Im depressed.Truth: Untreated OSA and depression share similar symptoms such as lethargy, excessive fatigue, trouble concentrating, weight gain and irritability. While many are quick to recognize these symptoms as a sign of a depressive disorder, they may also be the result of OSA. Recent studies have shown that patients who treat their OSA experience an improvement in symptoms that mimic depression 2-see footnote.Myth: It is uncomfortable to sleep with the mask on.Truth: CPAP, short for continuous positive airway pressure, is the most common and effective treatment for OSA. CPAP users wear a mask connected to a small machine - that supplies continuous airflow through the nose, which prevents the collapse of the airways. Although the majority of people take to the mask right away, some find it uncomfortable and decide to discontinue treatment. However, masks come in many shapes and sizes so unhappy CPAP users should not hesitate to look into other models.Myth: Undergoing a study in a sleep lab is too inconvenient.Truth: Historically, being tested for OSA required patients to spend the night in a certified sleep lab where heart rate, respiration, blood oxygen levels, airflow and the electrical activity of the brain were monitored. However, earlier this year, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services approved the reimbursement of CPAP treatment for OSA patients that were diagnosed wearing portable monitoring equipment in the comfort of their own home. This decision could lead to a monumental shift in how millions of OSA sufferers are diagnosed and may result in significantly increased diagnosis and treatment rates.Myth: OSA doesnt affect my driving.Truth: Untreated OSA not only leaves people exhausted, it also makes them a danger on the roads. In fact, a drowsy driver poses just as much risk to his or her self and the motoring public as a drunk driver. Researchers at Trinitas Hospital in Elizabeth, N.J. determined that a sleep deficit of four hours can result in the same cognitive decline as a blood-alcohol level of 0.10 percent, by which a driver is considered legally drunk. According to The National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research, drowsy drivers cause more fatalities per accident than drunk drivers.About Dr. AtwoodDr. Charles W. Atwood, Jr., MD directs the Sleep Medicine outpatient clinic at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Sleep Medicine Center and is the Director for the VAs sleep disorders program. He is an investigator on research examining the role of home-based sleep apnea diagnosis and therapy and the role of bariatric surgery in treating obstructive sleep apnea. Dr. Atwood is currently the Chair of the American College of Chest Physicians Sleep Institute. 1. Researchers, led by Dr. Terry Young at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, examined 1,522 patients ages 30 through 60 and tested them with an overnight sleep study every four years. During 18 years of follow-up in the study, patients with severe sleep-disordered breathing had a 3.2-fold increase in risk of death compared with people whose sleep breathing was normal. Study was presented at SLEEP 2008.2. Researchers, led by Dr. Patricia J. Deldin at the University of Michigan, examined the overnight sleep breathing of 19 patients with MDD and 15 patients with non-depressed controls. The results found that that sleep apnea may exacerbate or contribute to the condition of MDD, and that treating sleep apnea may limit or prevent depressive symptoms. Study was published in SLEEP MEDICINE November 2, 2005.Image via stock.xchng.Tags: Dr. Charles W. Atwood, home-based sleep apnea diagnosis, Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Obstructive Sleep Apnea Myths, sleep apnea diagnosis, sleep disorders programShare This
2008-11-08 01:02:13
Lack of sleep 'can make kids obese as adults'
Parents, please ensure that your child gets adequate sleep daily, for a new study has suggested that toddlers who don't get enough shut-eye are more likely to be obese as adults...
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Rare encounters in the wild
By Christine PembertonThe one thing, you will never get at The Ark is a good nightÃ¢Â€Â™s sleep...
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France; Iberian sleep; Antananarivo
Warning of the week: France Theft is evidently a serious problem now, according to the latest Foreign Office advice; on average, five British visitors reported lost or stolen passports...
2008-11-07 13:04:25
Pastor Says Race Remains a Big Issue
The Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. warned that the success of Barack Obama â€œshouldnâ€™t lull us to sleepâ€ in the effort to combat racism...
2008-11-07 11:36:26
Ailing Ard touched by Busch's $100,000 donation
Sam Ard was unsettled late Saturday night, unable to sleep as he peppered his wife about things he couldn't remember. Were his ...
2008-11-07 09:21:27
Chinese media workers are in poor health: Survey
INT59International/Health/MediaChinese media workers are in poor health: SurveyBeijing, Nov 7 Xinhua Almost all Chinese media workers are in poor physical condition, a survey has said.More than 97 percent media workers have sub-optimal health which means poor physical condition without any specific disease, said the survey, released Thursday on the eve of China's Journalists' Day.The survey, by the Chinese Medical Doctors Association, is based on the physical examination reports of 23,640 journalists. It found many media workers showing the effects of sedentary lifestyle, which included irregular sleep and meal schedules and heavy smoking. Countrywide, 73 percent of the population is in sub-optimal health, the survey noted.Sub-optimal health is defined as poor health with no specific diagnosis and is marked by physical weakness, low vitality and a poor immune system.--Xinhuasy/dkg/vt140 Words07111917
2008-11-07 09:05:11
Evelyn Grau
Longtime South Lake Tahoe resident Evelyn Grau died in her sleep on Nov. 1 at the age of 95. A memorial service will take place at 2 p.m. Nov. 15 at the Lake Tahoe Community...
2008-11-07 08:05:33
House Tour: Eve's Warm and Witty Loft Montreal
Name: Eve MartelLocation: Montreal, QuebecSize: 1,167 sq ftYears lived in: Just over a year, Eve is a proud first time owner!>> Enter SlideshowEve moved into her Hochelaga, Montreal loft just over a year ago. Her loft is in the La Biscuiterie Viau building: it used to be a candy and cookie factory and was owned by a famous local family. Built in 1906, the factory was transformed into loft units in 2007. Every unit is different and most have original architectural details like brick walls, steel beams and wood pillars. Here, Eve has established a home that is uniquely hers after only a year of residence... >> Enter SlideshowEve's a film buff and it shows up throughout her loft, from the framed stills in the bathroom to the vintage movie posters in the living room and a film reel inspired blanket created for her by her mother to use while watching movies. Her home is also filled with well-loved family relics from her grandmother and parents: from a vintage lamp to framed black and white photos of her parents, it's evident that Eve has been influenced not just by mid century design classics but also by objects from her own personal past. The paint color on her office door reminds her of the home office her father had when she was growing up. Arranged mementos reference childhood memories or inside jokes with personal meanings. It all comes together to make Eve's loft a space of warmth, wit, and individuality.AT Survey:My style: Retro chic, with a dash of plastic fantastic. I grew up reading my dads architecture and design books he was an architect for the City of Quebec in a home that was full of interesting pieces. I love futuristic and mid-century design because it reminds me of my childhood. Inspiration: My favorite movies, my dads Expo 67 slides, toys, old magazines and catalogs, flea market finds.Favorite Elements: My grandmothers vintage plastic sphere lamp from the seventies and my Saarinen table by Knoll. Its a classic for a reason! Its perfect to have long dinners with friends. Biggest Challenge: - Pacing myself and only buying stuff I love. I lived without curtains for a year because I was looking for the right shade of grey, but now that the windows are dressed I see that it was worth the wait.Trying to find a home for my DVDs without making the room look like a rental store I have over 600 and theres no way Im giving up the cases and inserts to put the disks in books.Choosing paint color. I love bright colors, but the loft-style of my condo makes it harder to be bold, since you can see the walls of the bedroom from the living room, and so on. I ended up choosing warm grays and adding pops of brightness by painting one door red and another yellow and adding a touch of blue in the bathroom. What Friends Say: It looks like a cool museum in here, When are you inviting us for dinner, I love your red door., Oh my God, you have three walk-in closets!Biggest Embarrassment: My big-ass Sony Trinitron TV. I have a cool flat-screen Samsung on my bedroom wall perfect for watching DVDs in bed, but the one in the living room is huge and Im not replacing it anytime soon. Theres no way I can sell it anyway, so Ill put in another year of use or two and will probably give it away to charity.Proudest DIY: Painting everything myself, with the help of my Dad. Those ceilings are high!Biggest Indulgence: The Saarinen table. I was shopping around for a kitchen table when I finally figured out that the kid in me really, really wanted the Saarinen. I dont know how many times Ive clipped it in magazine and glued it into my When I grow up, my apartment is going to look like this! scrapbook. So I indulged the lust and bought it online with Gabriel Ross, a really cool store in Victoria, British-Columbia.Best advice: Keep a sense of humor. Surround yourself with the things you love, even if youre the only one enjoying them be it a family heirloom or a trendy poster you love despite its ubiquity. Youre the one living in your home in the end. Dont be afraid to make mistakes. And when in doubt, call an electrician! Dream source: gabrielross.com, the stores on Amherst street in Montral, a mid-century mecca, the Kartell store in New York, Couleurs - a fantastic vintage furniture store on Saint-Denis Street>> Enter SlideshowResources: Bedroom:Ikea bed and mirrors, bed linen is from Le Germain Hotels online store , Urban Outfitters lamps, bedside tables are part of my grandmothers set from the 1930, all the vases are flea market finds, Kartell Ghost chair, all animal sculptures and wall appliqus are flea market finds, Kozyndan bunny blossoms print is from Magic Pony, paint-by-numbers paintings are eBay findsBathroom:Vintage marquee letters were a Craigslist find, as featured on AT, I made the montage of bathroom-themed movie captures myself and used an Ikea frameKitchen and Dining Room:The green chest of drawer is a roommate leftover. I painted it and changed the hardware. DOMA print, bought from the artists they came where I work for a special project, I found the credenza at a church rummage sale for 7 bucks, Knoll Saarinen table from Gabriel Ross, Ikea chairs I hate them, they will go as soon as I have enough money to buy better chairs, Fly Kartell lamp bought at Triede in Old Montreal, everything else was bought at flea markets, tag sales and on eBay, shelves unit with built-in lamps are a retro find bought at Couleurs on rue Saint-Denis.Oven is from Whirlpool, fridge is an old GE model and freezes fruit if I dont use liners on the bottom drawers, dishwasher is Frigidaire and is oh, so quiet!, washer and dryer are Whirlpool Duets, the blue ones. I love that they look like toys.Washroom:I made the curtain to hide the water heater using fabric from Reprodepot. The orange table is from Ikea and can be used as storage or filled with ice to keep drinks cold when company comes over.Living Room:Via couch bought at Morphe, Ikea ottoman and TV stand, Componibili unit and Eames chair from Gabriel Ross, vintage movie posters bought at Larry Edmunds in L.A., Grandmas lamp, cat bed was made with a vintage suitcase after stealing the idea online, Sony Trinitron TV, B&W home theatre, shades from Pi-Ro Decor, vintage chest of drawer was a retro find bought at CouleursOffice:The Via chair was bought at Morphe and is a very comfy spot to read while the cat sleeps on the windowsill. Expedit book shelves and Lack shelves from Ikea, Ikea red and white chest of drawers, stacked on top of each other. Ive had them a long time; I dont think Ikea carries them anymore. Ikea Benno towers used for DVD storage. The lamps on top are also Ikea. The typewriter is a vintage Zephyr bought at Ste-Foy flea market. The red lamp was an eBay find. The lamps in the Expedit are flea market finds. My desk table is another roommate leftoverThanks, Eve!>> Enter SlideshowAnd check our archives of past house tours HERE
2008-11-07 04:00:00
NH high school may let students sleep in
Parents and students at one New Hampshire high school are considering opening school 30 minutes later to let teens sleep longer.
2008-11-05 01:23:21

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