Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. You may have sleep apnea if you snore loudly and you feel tired even after a full night’s sleep. Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a condition suffered by over 20 million Americans. Some estimates place as many as 93% of women and 82% of men who suffer from moderate to severe OSA are undiagnosed. Are you one of them?
You should consult a medical professional like the team at Innovative Health and Wellness in Woodstock if you are suffering from the following –
- 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’re working, watching television or even driving
Proper treatment is important to people suffering from Sleep Apnea because of potential health problems caused by the condition which includes high blood pressure or heart problems, diabetes, stroke and even premature death.
Many people delay seeking diagnosis and treatment for sleep apnea because of a dread of overnight sleep studies conducted in a facility. Innovative Health and Wellness has an alternative in the form of an at home sleep study known as ARES™ or Apnea Risk Evaluation System. An in-home sleep study is considered by most medical professionals to offer a better profile of your breathing patterns during sleep because you are in your normal sleeping environment.
An additional advantage of ARES™ testing is cost. It is low cost compared to traditional sleep studies and is covered by almost all major health plans. The equipment is also small in size and allows the device to be worn comfortably in all sleep positions.
Once your testing is complete the data is reviewed by our team along with your medical history and other physical data to determine the severity of any apnea and an appropriate treatment.
For minor cases of Sleep Apnea, lifestyle changes such as losing weight or quitting smoking may be appropriate. For the majority of people suffering with Sleep Apnea a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine is the recommended course of treatment. A CPAP delivers air pressure through a mask placed over your nose while you sleep. The air pressure delivered is somewhat greater than that of the surrounding air, and is just enough to keep your upper airway passages open, this prevents the apnea and snoring.
If you suffer from the symptoms listed above, contact Innovative Health and Wellness in Woodstock for a consultation to see if you could benefit from an ARES™ in home sleep study. In addition to ending annoying snoring you could be starting on a path to better health and a longer life.
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