Break the Sleep Apnea Cycle

Wondering if you’ll ever feel rested again?
You could have a sleep disorder. Talk to your doctor about your sleep problems, and take this quiz now to learn more about your sleep habits.

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Chronic sleep problems affect more than 40 million Americans annually, negatively impacting health and happiness. Insufficient sleep is linked to medical conditions such as obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure. Do you think you might need to have a sleep study?

Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital’s Sleep Disorders Center treats adult patients for all known sleep disorders, including snoring and sleep apnea, insomnia, narcolepsy, restless legs syndrome and periodic limb movements. Talk to your primary care physician if you think you might be suffering from a sleep disorder.

If you would like to schedule an appointment with a sleep medicine physician call 866-533-7968.

Every night, you climb into bed exhausted and ready for rest only to be woken up dozens, or even hundreds of times. That’s what life is like for the approximately 12 million Americans living with obstructive sleep apnea, a condition that causes your airways to partially collapse while you’re sleeping. This condition is not only bothersome, it can have serious consequences for your heart.

“Breathing becomes labored or momentarily stops. The airway constriction causes loud snoring or choking that wakes the person from sleep – whether they know it or not. says Arnon Rubin, MD, Medical Director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital. 

Often it’s the person’s spouse who realizes something isn’t right. The constant sleep disruption leads to fatigue (for both partners), headaches or a sore throat. Left untreated, obstructive sleep apnea has been linked to a host of related health issues including high blood pressure, coronary artery disease or even heart attack or stroke.

Your apnea odds
Risk factors for obstructive sleep apnea are partially due to hereditary factors like having large tonsils or a short lower jaw.  Your gender also plays a role; men over age 40 are at a greater risk than women. But, there are some things you can do to lower your risk.

“If you smoke, quit. It contributes to a host of medical problems including obstructive sleep apnea,” says Dr. Rubin. “Up to 70 percent of obese people have some form of sleep apnea, so losing weight is another way people can reduce their risk.”

The benefits of making these lifestyle changes are twofold: You can cut your risk for heart disease and sleep apnea. For those with severe obstructive sleep apnea, however, it can be easier said than done.

“Lots of people with obstructive sleep apnea can turn things around by making healthy lifestyle changes, but if you’re sleep deprived and exhausted you probably don’t have the energy to exercise,” Dr. Rubin explains.  That’s when working with physicians at the Sleep Disorder Center is crucial.

Putting sleep apnea to bed
Sleep studies give your doctor a chance to see your sleep apnea in action. At the Sleep Disorder Center, patients spend the night in a comfortable, serene room. While you sleep, advanced sensors send information about your brain activity, eye movement, breathing, heart rate and oxygen intake to a highly skilled technician stationed in another room. Each of the technicians at the center has more than 10 years experience conducting sleep studies.

Doctors use the information to determine the severity of your condition and create a tailored treatment plan. There are four main ways to treat sleep apnea:
• Lifestyle modifications, such as losing weight, avoiding alcohol and sleeping medications.
• Using an oral-appliance, like a mouth guard, that helps keep your airway open.
• Using a CPAP machine, a compressor that helps air flow through a tube into a mask worn during sleep.
• Surgery to help open airways. This is usually used only in severe cases when other treatments have not provided relief.

Addressing your sleep apnea will not only help reduce your risk for heart disease, but also help you feel better and more energetic overall. As Dr. Rubin puts it, “Sleep is universal. Everyone needs it.  We spend one-third of our life sleeping, but if you’re not getting good quality sleep it takes a big toll on your health. Your mental and physical well-being are connected to letting your body rest, relax and recuperate from your busy day.”

Planning on getting healthy in 2012? Tell us your story and you’ll be entered to win a FREE one-year gym membership.


 

 

Through Keeping Chicago Well, Adventist Midwest Health affiliated physicians and health care specialists will provide you with the latest health information to stay well in mind, body and spirit. To learn more, call 866-533-7968.