Sleep Awareness Week; Should you have a sleep study?
Sleep Awareness Week at VMH ... This is Sleep Awareness Week. Connor Meyer, Respiratory Therapist at Veterans Memorial Hospital, encourages everyone to think about their quality of sleep and even consult with their significant other on whether they have the signs of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and feel they should have a sleep study. When healthy sleep is interrupted this way, the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and other serious health conditions may increase. Sleep Studies are performed regularly at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon to help diagnose any of the 84 known sleep disorders, helping to find a healthy solution to safer and better sleep. Submitted photo.
If you or someone you know snores regularly and has one or more of the following symptoms, it may be related to Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA): excessive daytime sleepiness, gasping or choking during sleep, grogginess and morning headaches, frequent urination at night, depression or irritability, obesity or having a large neck crowding the upper airway.
OSA is a common, yet often undiagnosed sleep disorder afflicting 20 million adults, both men and women, in the United States. People who have OSA stop breathing repeatedly during sleep because their airway collapses, which may be caused by a large tongue, extra tissue in the airway or decreased muscle tone. As a result, air is prevented from getting into the lungs.
When healthy sleep is interrupted in this way, the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and other serious health conditions may increase. Testing for OSA is very important and available locally at Veterans Memorial Hospital, helping to find a healthy solution to safer and better sleep.
Whitney Sleep Diagnostics & Consultants is providing comprehensive sleep medicine services at the hospital. Patients can receive diagnosis and treatment for Sleep Apnea, Insomnia, Restless Legs Syndrome, Narcolepsy or any of the 84 known sleep disorders right in Waukon.
“We have offered sleep studies here through a Board Certified Sleep Specialist from Whitney since 2014. They are safe and easy to do and can be scheduled within just a few weeks of receiving your referral,” states Connor Meyer, Respiratory Therapist at Veterans Memorial Hospital. “The patients I work with have been very impressed with the level of care they have received and most are experiencing positive outcomes and much better sleep as a result.”
Most insurance plans provide some level of coverage for sleep studies because, left untreated, sleep apnea can increase a person’s risk of heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, depression, diabetes, and work or traffic-related accidents due to daytime fatigue. An overnight diagnostic sleep study, known as a polysomnogram is used to determine the type and severity of the sleep disorder as well as appropriate treatment. Once treated, a sleep technician from Whitney Sleep travels to Veterans Memorial Hospital weekly for any patients needing supplies or having any issues with their treatment.
“I encourage you to think about your quality of sleep during Sleep Awareness Week, and even consult with your significant other on whether you feel you should have a sleep study,” advises Meyer. “If so, consult with your medical provider who can make a referral for you to come in to have a test by sleeping right here overnight at the hospital. It is a very convenient and quality service.”
For more information, contact a local health care provider, or call the Respiratory Therapy Department at Veterans Memorial Hospital at 563-568-3411. For more specific questions and scheduling information, call Whitney Sleep Diagnostics at 218-844-6150.
