Do you know someone who SNORES?

 

If YES, you could save a life.

 

Towner County Medical Center

has a NEW screening device that

screens for potential sleep disorders.

 

For screening appointments and more information,

 call us in Cando at 968-2541 or 1-800-943-3337 (toll free within ND).

This service is also available at Devils Lake Community Clinic, please call 662-8662.

  

 

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What is OSA – Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

 

Obstructive Sleep Apnea is the condition where the throat is particularly narrow, or the muscles

relax too much, that the airway becomes completely blocked, preventing breathing. The airflow to

the lungs is therefore reduced and may reduce the amount of oxygen delivered to the body tissues.

After a period of time, which can be anything up to two minutes, the brain realizes there is a lack or

oxygen. It then alerts the body to wake up. Although the sufferer is often not aware of it, this cycle

can occur several hundred times during the night, severely disrupting sleep. This may prevent you

from getting the best night’s sleep. OSA is the most common sleep disorder. It can affect people

at any age, but is more common in men over the age of forty. You can often tell if someone has

OSA. If you listen while they sleep you will hear snoring followed by a period of silence. There

may then be a loud snort or a gasp as they start to breathe again. Some people with OSA do not

snore and it is usually the symptoms that indicate whether someone is suffering from OSA. 

 

 

 

 

 

    What are the symptoms of OSA?

    Ø      snoring

    Ø      morning headaches

    Ø      depression

    Ø      memory lapses

    Ø      sexual dysfunction

    Ø     excessively daytime sleepiness

 

 

What causes the throat to narrow and create snoring or OSA?

Ø      increasing age

Ø      obesity

Ø      nose or throat problem

Ø      alcohol consumption*

Ø      sleeping tablets*

 

* They relax the airway muscles potentially causing or worsening snoring and OSA.

 

 

Is OSA life threatening?

 

OSA as itself is not life threatening but it has been linked to a number of serious life

threatening conditions.

Ø      high blood pressure

Ø      hypertension

Ø      heart disease

Ø      stroke

Ø      chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Ø      congestive heart failure

 

 

How is OSA treated?

 

Sometimes losing weight or reducing alcohol intake can reduce the severity of mild OSA.

Surgical and dental procedures can also be used to treat mild OSA. However, the most simple,

effective and well recognized treatment is Positive Airway Treatment.

 

Positive airway pressure therapy involves wearing a mask, which is connected by tubing to an

electric motor device that delivers air at positive pressure. This air pressure acts as an air splint to

keep the upper airway open and prevent apneas.

 

For more information on treating OSA, call and make an appointment at 968-2541 or 1-800-943-3337 for Towner County Medical Center in Cando or 662-8662 for Devils Lake Community Clinic in Devils Lake.