A recently concluded research study from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit has found that patients with obstructive sleep apnea who undergo surgery to improve their breathing get a better night’s sleep and therefore are less drowsy during the day. 

The study finds surgery greatly reduces daytime sleepiness – a common side effect from this disorder in which the upper airway is partially or completely blocked during sleep – when compared to other non-surgical treatments for obstructive sleep apnea. 

The retrospective study looked at 40 patients who underwent one of three surgical interventions – uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, tonsillectomy or radiofrequency ablation of the base of tongue – between January 2007 and December 2009.  Read the rest of this entry

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) technologies are a staple at Medgadget , mostly because they make for good pictures to go with the post. However, they also make for good medicine, as many studies have shown they are effective for everything between reducing heart complications associated with sleep apnea and improving quality of sleep. One of the latest studies in the journal Sleep continues to promote the use of CPAP for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) by showing in a randomized study that “3 weeks of therapeutic CPAP significantly reduced fatigue and increased energy in patients with OSA” Read the rest of this entry

A research study was recently performed to evaluate the relations between sleep characteristics and cardiovascular risk factors and napping behavior, and to assess whether daytime napping leads to subsequent better or worse sleep.

 The sample consisted of 224 (African American, Caucasian, and Asian) middle-aged men and women. Sleep measures included nine nights of actigraphy and sleep diaries, sleep questionnaires, and one night of polysomnography to measure sleep disordered breathing.

More frequent napping was associated with shorter nighttime sleep duration averaged across the nine nights of actigraphy (especially among African Americans), more daytime sleepiness, more pain and fatigue by diary, and increased body mass index and waist circumference. Shorter nighttime sleep duration was associated with taking a nap during the next day and taking a nap was associated with less efficient sleep the next night.

Napping in middle-aged men and women is associated with overall less nighttime sleep in African Americans and lower sleep efficiency as measured by actigraphy, and increased BMI and central adiposity. These findings point to the importance of measuring of napping in understanding associations of sleep with cardiovascular risk.

UAE Philips conducted an online Sleep Apnea Awareness campaign titled Do You Snore, to help build public consciousness about Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) in the UAE. Email invitations were sent out to fill out a short and straight forward survey to more than 200,000 recipients based in the country, targeting a sample group of the age 25 and above.

A high number of respondents showed positive results and are very likely to be suffering fromObstructive Sleep Apnea ( OSA). The potential patients were advised to print their report and seek further medical advice and diagnostic tests for sleep apnea.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea is one of the most common sleep disorders worldwide. It is a condition that causes a persons breathing to stop repeatedly during the night, causing disruption in their sleep as they struggle to breathe. As a result, they never get the deep, restorative sleep that is needed. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can not only negatively impact a persons overall quality of life and productivity, but it can also potentially lead to serious health issues like increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythm, strokes and other conditions. Read the rest of this entry

SleepApneaDisorder/[ Press Release ]/NASHVILLE, Tenn/ Five state trucking associations have already taken decisive action on preparing their membership for a regulation on fatigued driving and the prevalence of sleep apnea in the trucking industry. Beginning with an endorsement from the Tennessee Trucking Association (TTA) in late 2009, the inspiration to find a sleep health partner quickly spread to the Kentucky Motor Transport Association and to three other state associations; the Louisiana Motor Transport Association, the Iowa Motor Truck Association and the Oklahoma Trucking Association.

Although each state handled the matter differently and coordinated separate task forces to research the issue, all five have inevitably decided on SLEEP ACCESS to deliver customized driver fatigue programs for their membership. Read the rest of this entry

SleepApneaDisorder/ [ Press Release ]/ Fifteen specific safety recommendations were issued by the National Transportation Safety Board to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration recently, following its investigation into a fatal July 2009 tractor-trailer crash in which six vehicles were involved.The NTSB determined that the accident was caused by the truck driver’s fatigue, which was caused in turn by recent and acute sleep loss, disruption of his circadian rhythms due to the driver’s shift schedule and mild sleep apnea. Truck driver fatigue is one of the most common causes of truck accidents on United States highways. Read the rest of this entry

According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the average sleep apnea sufferer stops breathing and loses oxygen between five and 30 times a night. This lack of oxygen leads to a host of complications, including high blood pressure, vascular disease, an abnormal heart rhythm, or even a fatal cardiac event. Now, a team of University of Missouri researchers is exploring the changes in distinct brain regions that contribute to these symptoms in hopes of combating this common health issue.

Sleep apnea occurs when the muscles in the back of the throat relax during sleep, leading the airway to narrow or close. It’s estimated that 12 million Americans are affected by sleep apnea, but it’s widely believed that the issue is under reported. There are no blatant signs or blood tests to diagnose the disrupted sleep. Most cases of sleep apnea are discovered when a partner notices an increase in snoring, or when the sufferer indicates daytime fatigue and sleepiness. Read the rest of this entry

A recently concluded research study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project called “Cellphones and American Adults.” shows that close to two-thirds of American adults sleep with their cell phones on or right next to their beds. However, the number rises to over 90% among people ages 18 to 29.

91% of Americans say their cell phones make them feel safer. However, sleeping with a cell phone may actually be endangering people’s lives not making them more secure. Read the rest of this entry

You could be just one among the millions of people all across the globe who are suffering from a sleep disorder. Even more disturbing is the fact that majority of the persons suffering from sleep disorders are undiagnosed.

How can you be so sure that if you have a sleep disorder?

Here are some of the most commonly occurring health conditions and symptoms that you may be experiencing significant  as a typical sleep problem that requires urgent professional evaluation.

1.You have trouble going to sleep at night

While this is a common complaint among the normal population, if the problem persists it may signal the presence of a sleep disorder. Read the rest of this entry

Sleep experts are now working in the Midlands to fight back against disorders like sleep apnea, insomnia and narcolepsy that keep people up at night.

A new sleep center has now come up right here in Columbia is helping patients finally get a good night’s sleep.

Dr. Greg Cauthen says the earlier the better when it comes to identifying and treating sleep disorders. “Most people come to the center recognizing that they are sleepy during the day, they snore, and have trouble getting a good nights sleep.” He says sleep deprived patients can develop serious cardiovascular and neurological problems. Read the rest of this entry

A recently completed research evaluated insomnia symptoms and the extent to which they are associated with clinical and demographic patient characteristics, daytime symptoms, and functional performance in patients with stable heart failure (HF). 

In a cross-sectional, observational research study with a setting  as a five structured HF disease management programs in the Northeastern U.S.

This research study involved 173 stable chronic HF patients as participants.Full polysomnography was obtained for one night in participants’ homes. Read the rest of this entry

Your eyes tell about overall health. 

A study concluded on people with sleep apnea found an amazing correlation with increased risk for glaucoma and stroke.In all 83 people with sleep apnea participated in this research study. Out of these 83 people in the study — fully one third had glaucoma!  

If you have sleep apnea you should see your eye doctor regularly and mention you have SA. Keep regular visits with your primary care physician to monitor blood pressure, serum cholesterol, and blood sugar.Symptoms of sleep apnea-which usually occur in overweight males, include daytime sleepiness, chronic fatigue, and decreased cognitive function.

Another study found 40 minutes of exercise per day (such as brisk walking), four days per week lowered pressure in the eyes as effectively as some eye drop medications! This means exercise can reduce your risk of glaucoma, or if you already have it, exercise will help your glaucoma medications work better.

Long term chronic illness like sleep apnea can affect a person’s mental health as well as physical health.

Chronic illness is long term, and may never go away; sometime there is no perceivable cause for the illness. Conversely, a person with a chronic illness never regains a baseline of normal functioning.
Acute illness is what we experience when we do something like catch a cold or have bronchitis.

Sleep apnea is one of the most Common chronic illnesses aprt from arthritis, auto-immune disorders (Hashimoto’s Disease, Graves Disease), asthma, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, endometriosis, fibromyalgia, lupus, and severe joint and back problems. Read the rest of this entry