(NAPSA)—If you or someone you love are among the 20 million Americans who snore chronically, there’s a 50 percent chance you may also suffer from the most common type of sleep disorder: obstructive sleep apnea or OSA. Yet an estimated 95 percent of people with OSA don’t know they have it. Fortunately, there’s now an easy wayto find out. In people with OSA, soft tissues in the throat sag during sleep. Breathing pushes past these sagging tissues causing snoring. Often, the airway gets choked off completely, causing some people to stop breathing for up to a minute or even more, hun- dreds of times a night. Tf left untreated, OSA can lead to such serious complications as cardiovascular problems, stroke and high blood pressure, increased accident rates, memory loss, judgement problems and depression. OSA can occur in all age groups and both sexes, but is more commonin men.Risk factors include smoking, family history, obesity and excessive use of alcohol or sedatives. Until recently, diagnosing OSA usually required an overnight stay in a hospital or special sleep laboratory. Now, the FDA has approved the Bedbugg”—aselfadministered test doctors can prescribe for their patients to use at home. When ordered by a doctor, the Bedbuggis shipped directly to the An easy, comfortable, at-home test can tell if snoring is a symptom of sleep apnea, a potentially fatal health problem. patient’s home. Following simple instructions, the patient applies a small, comfortable sensor to the upperlip, chest and fingertip and then presses the “Start” button before going to sleep. The Bedbugg collects data for up to three nights and then is returned to Sleep Solutions in a prepaid shipper, where the data is compiled and sent to the doctor for review. The physician makes the diagnosis and helps the patient select the best treatment. Treatment options include behavioral therapy such as weight loss, use of special air pressure devices (called CPAP) and dental appliances to keep the airway open andsurgery. Doctors, patients and others interested in learning more can call 800-723-1731; or see www.sleepsleep.com on the Web. Note to Editors: While this story may be run at anytime, particularly good times are during National Sleep Awareness Week (March 26-April L) or in May, which is Better Sleep Month.
