Sleep Apnea

If someone said to you that while you’re asleep, your breathing is stopping anywhere from 5 to 25 times per minute, you might freak out, right? Well, that exact situation is plaguing millions of people in this country. It is called sleep apnea and it comes in three forms:
1. Obstructive sleep apnea
2. Central sleep apnea
3. Complex sleep apnea (a combination of the two forms above)
For simplicity sake, we will lump all three forms into the same general category called, sleep apnea; which is a breathing disorder that starts and stops during your sleep period. Some of the symptoms of sleep apnea are:
• Excessive daytime sleepiness
• Loud snoring, which is usually more prominent in obstructive sleep apnea
• Observed episodes of breathing cessation during sleep
• Abrupt awakenings accompanied by shortness of breath, which more likely indicates central sleep apnea
• Awakening with a dry mouth or sore throat
• Morning headache
• Difficulty staying asleep
In general, sleep apnea is caused by either your brain failing to transmit the proper breathing signals to your breathing muscles or, more likely, the muscles in the back of your throat relaxing which causes your airway to close as you take in a breathe, then causing you to gasp for breath.
With causations in mind, it is important to be aware of the potential risk factors for sleep apnea. They might be:
• Excessive weight
• Neck circumference greater than 17 inches
• High blood pressure
• A narrowed airway
• Being male
• Being older than 65
• Family history of sleep apnea
• Use of alcohol, sedatives, or tranquilizers
• Smoking
• Prolonged sitting
• Heart disorders
There are certain tests that a physician may perform to evaluate your situation/condition, such as:
• Nocturnal polysomnography – electronic equipment monitors your heart, lungs, brain activity, breathing, leg and arm movements, and blood oxygen levels.
• Potable monitoring devices – a halter monitor that is worn while you sleep and performs other regular functions during the day.
Treatments for sleep apnea may include:
• Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP or SEE-CPAP) – you wear a mask that provides air pressure to keep your airway open during potential periods of sleep apnea.
• Adjustable airway pressure devices – devices that offer fluctuating air pressure to meet your particular needs.
• Oral appliances – devices that keep your throat open, i.e., by moving your jaw forward.
• Surgery – several various methods all designed to “remove excess tissue from your nose or throat that may be blocking upper air passages and causing sleep apnea.”
Please don’t take this condition lightly. Pay attention to yourself or your partner whenever you detect any of the following conditions:
• Snoring loud enough to disturb the sleep of others or yourself
• Shortness of breath that awakens you from sleep
• Intermittent pauses in your breathing during sleep
• Excessive daytime drowsiness, which may cause you to fall asleep while you work, watching television or even driving
If you do notice any of these symptoms in yourself or your partner, you should seriously consider consulting your physician for a sleep apnea evaluation … it could save a life – maybe your own.

Find out more information by visiting Sonesta Sleep Centers at www.sonestasleep.com . Locations in Tarpon Springs and Largo, FL.  

February is Low Vision Awareness Month

Low Vision Awareness Month

February is low vision awareness month, sponsored by Prevent Blindness America, located in Chicago, Illinois. “Low vision is a term commonly used among eye care professionals to mean partial sight, or sight that isn’t fully correctable with surgery, medications, contact lens, or glasses,” said Mark Wilkinson, O.D., Director of Vision Rehabilitation Services at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.
There are a number of causes of low vision, such as:

•  “Cataracts:  causes vision to be lazy.”
•  “Macular Degeneration:  effects center vision.”
•  “Diabetic Retinopathy:  causes distorted or blurred vision.”
•  “Glaucoma:  Loss in peripheral vision and difficulty seeing at night.”
(Source: www.uihealthcare.com/kxic/2009/02/lowvision.html)
Macular Degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss affecting 1.6 million Americans over the age of fifty. The National Eye Institute estimates that by the year 2020, 17 million people will be affected by low vision.
Currently, we are most aware of the obvious treatments for low vision; glasses, contact lens, surgery, and to some degree, medications. However, other alternatives do exist and often follow tried and true treatments methods for other disabilities. For example, someone with low vision that is untreatable with the typical methods just mentioned might be sent to a rehabilitation facility to learn alternative ways to perform once familiar tasks, i.e., brushing one’s teeth, using the shower, etc.. These new methods may include the use of high tech equipment or even the enhancement of another sense, such as touch.
It is important, just as in any other area of our medical condition, that we pay very close attention to changes in the status quo. Don’t discount any minor change to your or your loved ones’ vision.
Although this change may be temporary, it could mean the beginning of some significant deterioration of vision that might be correctable before it impacts your ability to function on a daily basis.
As with many other medical illnesses, low vision is being researched all the time with many new and positive results coming regularly. For example, “there are some injections that not only stabilize vision, but enhance vision. There’s a great deal of work on genetic therapy, as well as gene-directed therapy, to help people function better. There’s a variety of new electronic magnification devices and computer software programs that can help people function better despite reduced vision.” (Source: www.uihealthcare.com/kxic/2009/02/lowvision.html)