News @ MCRHC
August 20, 2009
SLEEP APNEA CAN CAUSE SERIOUS HEALTH PROBLEMS
Mitchell County Board of Supervisor Stan Walk raised awareness of sleep apnea in a recent article. As he mentioned in that article, sleep apnea is a very serious but treatable condition that is often ignored by sleep sufferers. Mitchell County Regional Health Center offers overnight sleep studies to help diagnose this growing disorder.
People with untreated sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep, sometimes hundreds of times during the night and often for a minute or longer. Sleep apnea is very common, as common as adult diabetes, and affects more than twelve million Americans, according to the National Institutes of Health. Risk factors include those with a family history of sleep apnea, being male, overweight, and over the age of forty, but sleep apnea can strike anyone at any age, even children. The vast majority remains undiagnosed and untreated, despite the fact that this serious disorder can have significant consequences.
According to the American Sleep Apnea Association, sleep apnea is characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep, which can result in both sleep disturbance and reduced oxygen delivery to vital organs. Common symptoms include snoring, daytime sleepiness, weight gain, and un-refreshing sleep. Sleep apnea is more than just a noisy nuisance; it is associated with high blood pressure, automobile accidents, mood and memory problems, and heart disease.
Sleep Apnea is diagnosed with a sleep study. During the sleep study several devices record activity during sleep. These generally include an electroencephalogram (EEG) to measure brain waves and an electroculogram (EOG) to measure eye and chin movement. Both monitor the different stages of sleep. An electrocardiogram (EKG) measures heart rate and rhythm while chest bands measure breathing movements. Additional monitors sense oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the blood and record leg movement. None of these devices are painful and there are no needles involved.
Mitchell County Regional Health Center partners with the Mercy Sleep Clinic in Mason City to provide overnight sleep studies in Mitchell County. The study participant arrives at the Mitchell County Regional Health Center hospital in the evening. A local Sleep Lab Technician connects the monitors to the patient and the Mercy Sleep Clinic can remotely monitor the patient throughout the night. The study lasts until 5:00 a.m. when the participant is woken up and allowed to go home.
There are a variety of treatments for sleep apnea. The most appropriate treatment depends on an individual’s medical history and the severity of the disorder. Nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the most common treatment for sleep apnea. The CPAP machine pushes air through the airway at a pressure high enough to keep the airway open during sleep.
If you suspect you or a loved one suffers from sleep apnea, contact your health care provider or Mitchell County Regional Health Center for more information.