5 Search Results for "apnea"
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Sleep Apnea Sleep Apnea
- From: Julie_Stansfield_MD
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Description:
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is when someone doesn’t breathe well at night. They stop breathing multiple times while they are sleeping. Usually this happens when they are in their deepest sleep. So the night is never restful, people wake up very tired. People that are asleep are really bad about telling you what is happening around them while they are sleeping. That means people with sleep apnea rarely complain about breathing problems at night. It may be hard work convincing someone to go get a sleep apnea test, because they don’t think anything is wrong, they just are tired. It is even harder work to convince someone to use a machine at night to fix the sleep apnea.
One of the most important reasons to use a machine for sleep apnea is that sleep apnea causes many problems. People with sleep apnea have a much higher risk of stroke. That is a big problem.
People with sleep apnea can also have higher blood pressures, higher blood sugars, irregular heartbeats, weight gain and memory problems.
You don’t have to be heavy to have sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can occur in thin people. However people that carry their weight around the middle part of their bodies have more problems. Daily exercise over many months can help to reduce the weight around the middle.
If you are very tired, chat with your doctor about whether you need a sleep study. What you don’t know can hurt you.
Here is an article from the New England Journal of Medicine, for those of you that like journal articles.
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/short/353/19/2034
Obstructive Sleep Apnea as a Risk Factor for Stroke and Death. Volume 353:2034-2041, November 10, 2005, Number 19
- Blog post
- 8 months ago
- Views: 133
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Driving Under the Influence Driving Under the Influence
- From: Julie_Stansfield_MD
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Description:
Driving under the Influence
Driving while drunk is dangerous, not news to most people. However many people are surprised that many over the counter medicines like Benadryl (diphenhydramine) make people dangerous drivers as well.
Years ago a group of people were given a simulated driving test. Some took cold medicine like Benadryl and others were made legally drunk. (If memory serves, with great effort they found a bunch of college students and paid them). The people that took Benadryl were actually worse drivers, partly because they didn’t know they were impaired. They thought they were fine. The effects lasted about 4 hours, longer than for many of the drunk drivers.
So if you take a medicine like Benadryl you will be considered to be “driving under the influence” in many states. So impaired and committing a crime. Certainly you are at risk to have an accident. That is why this medicine is also banned for pilots.
Many prescription medicines should not be used while driving or while working. These include narcotics and many anxiety medicines like Xanax or Valium.
Driving while being very tired has been shown to be as dangerous as being drunk. People with uncontrolled sleep apnea tend to have more car accidents than normal people. Truck drivers and pilots have strictly enforced rest periods because of this danger.
In all of these cases people do not realize their driving has worsened. They respond to emergencies slowly, drive too fast or slow and interpret simple signs and stoplights incorrectly. Many people tell me they are good drivers. Even good drivers may not know they have taken a medicine that made them poor drivers.
So… if you drive, don’t drink and avoid medicine either prescription or over the counter that can make you sleepy. If you haven’t slept much in the last 24 hours, don’t drive.
Gengo FM, Manning C. A review of the effects of antihistamines on mental processes related to automobile driving. J Allergy Clin Immunol 1990;86:1034-9.
- Blog post
- 11 months ago
- Views: 152
- Not yet rated
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Driving and Aging Driving and Aging
- From: Julie_Stansfield_MD
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Description:
Driving and Aging
Driving is an important part of independence. People frequently talk about how they would want to give up driving if they thought they were a danger to other people. The reality is this is can be a difficult decision. It should be approached with patience.
All drivers have problems if they tired, driving in the dark or are distracted by cell phone radios or the emotions of a bad day. Alcohol and many drugs impair the driving of people no matter what their age. One accident can be a signal that another accident will follow if immediate changes are not made.
The American Medical Association reports that:
- · Age related driving fragility begins to increase at ages 60 to 64.
- · By age 85, drivers’ vehicle fatality rate is 9 times higher than drivers age 25 to 69.
There are important changes that occur with aging that effect a person’s ability to drive safely. Reactions times become slower. Flexibility and strength of the joints and muscles, especially the neck, arms and hands can make driving more difficult. Vision problems from glaucoma, macular degeneration and diabetic eye problems can make driving very unsafe. Hearing loss is a common problem with aging. Since hearing loss means losing the ability to hear high pitched sounds like a siren, horns and railroad bells this can become a true safety problem.
Sleep apnea can cause serious driving problems because someone can fall asleep while they are at the wheel.
Memory problems can make learning a new route very difficult. Construction can be so confusing that a person that has been doing well is suddenly miles from home and quite lost.
Diabetes and other diseases can make feeling the gas and break pedals difficult. Long toenails and poor foot hygiene can make using the pedals painful. Stopping quickly becomes difficult.
An important part of deciding to give up driving is finding another way of getting around. Family members can be helpful to help find safer ways of getting to the grocery store and social events.
One of the most important reasons to give up driving is to avoid hurting someone else. A driving evaluation can help people decide if they are truly safe to drive. Many communities have these at the license office or local hospitals. An eye and hearing exam may find problems that can be fixed and allow a person to continue driving.
Here are a few specific problems that may mean it is time to think about giving up driving.
Does the driver:
- Use pain medicine including prescribed narcotics?
- Have trouble seeing over the dashboard or reaching the pedals?
- Have seizures?
- Notice that other drivers honk at them frequently?
- Struggle to find the controls on the car?
- Seem surprised by cars that suddenly appear?
- Hit cars, curbs or even the garage?
- Frequently feel that most other drivers are either too fast or too slow?
- Have many tickets?
- Have a hard time stopping at the right place in intersections or doesn’t stop at all?
- Hear sirens?
- Have the strength to turn the wheel rapidly to avoid obstacles?
- Have extensive arthritis that limits the ability to turn the neck or grip the steering wheel?
- Get passed on the right hand side frequently?
The reality is that many aging drivers may be able to drive safely by limiting their driving to slow speeds during the daytime. They avoid times when children are going back and forth to school. They avoid the rush hour traffic. Highway driving may be something that is easily given up because of the faster reaction times that are needed. Driving short distances close to a person's home might be done more easily.
The hardest thing to do is to give up driving before you become a hazard and before you hurt yourself or someone else. If you are concerned about someone else driving it is important to understand that these issues need to be addressed carefully and with kind patience. Other options for transportation have to be arranged. This makes giving up driving much easier to accept.
- Blog post
- 1 year ago
- Views: 162
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Do You Snore? Do You Snore?
- From: Julie_Stansfield_MD
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Description:
Do You Snore?
Do you snore? Has anyone in your household noticed that you breathe irregularly in your sleep? So you snore so loudly the family thinks it’s funny? Think again.
Sleep apnea is when people quit breathing at night. These people have nights with loud snoring and irregular breathing (gasping, long pauses) during sleep. Sleep apnea can make it difficult to control high blood pressure.
The treatment of sleep apnea may result in improved blood pressure levels.
Uncontrolled sleep apnea may lead to diabetes and weight gain. It may given you insomnia, you may never seem to get a good night's sleep.
If you think you have sleep apnea, you should discuss this with your doctor or other healthcare provider.
- Blog post
- 1 year ago
- Views: 157
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Nobody Wants a Stroke Nobody Wants a Stroke
- From: Julie_Stansfield_MD
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Description:
Nobody Wants a Stroke
Nobody wants a stroke. Many diseases don't truly affect you life, but strokes can change your life forever.
Science has given us proven ways to prevent strokes.
Here are the best tips:
1. Don't smoke.
2. Find out if you have high blood pressure.
3. Treat high blood pressure by taking your medicine, avoiding salt, eating more fruit and vegetables and low fat dairy products.
4. Walk or do some kind of exercise every day. If you are already active try and become more active.
6. Watch your weight. Try and lose weight, but if you can't lose weight, at least don't gain weight.
7. Sleep about eight hours a night. If you have sleep apnea, get it treated.
8. If you have high cholesterol or have already had a stroke or heart attack make sure to take your cholesterol medicine.
Preventing a problem is better and easier than fixing a problem. Share this information with someone you know. No one should miss a chance to avoid a stroke.
- Blog post
- 1 year ago
- Views: 269