New Sleep Articles Available from May
Review the latest sleep articles available from this past month. Learn about the new medication Hetlioz and its use to treat Non-24-Hour Sleep-Wake Disorder in blind people. Consider who should use it and how its effectiveness compares to melatonin. Explore Non-24 and how it causes both insomnia and daytime sleepiness. Learn about QNASL nasal spray as a treatment option for nasal allergies. Finally, examine some common questions related to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) use: can you wear earplugs with it, how might it help you breathe through your nose during the day, and can it make you sick?
Read More:
He...
Source: About Sleep Disorders - May 31, 2014 Category: Sleep Medicine Source Type: news
New Sleep Articles Available from April
This month brings a bouquet of articles meant to address seasonal allergies, so common as spring flowers bloom. Included in this collection are both over-the-counter and prescription options, pills and sprays that can be used to treat allergic rhinitis. Explore these options, including: Allegra, Claritin, Zyrtec, Singulair, Nasacort, Veramyst, and Zetonna. In addition, learn how a backpack might help you to prevent snoring and sleep apnea that occurs when sleeping on your back.
Read More:
How a Backpack Might Prevent Snoring and Sleep Apnea
Over-the-Counter Allegra Medication for Allergies
Over-the-Counter Claritin M...
Source: About Sleep Disorders - April 28, 2014 Category: Sleep Medicine Source Type: news
How Long Does a CPAP Prescription Last?
If you use continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or bilevel to treat your sleep apnea, you may wonder: how long does a CPAP prescription last? Though the answer may vary somewhat based on your insurance, there are a few rules of thumb that can be followed.
In most cases, the prescription your sleep specialist gives you for CPAP and the associated equipment will be good for 1 year from the time it is issued. This ensures that you are regularly checking in with your physician to ensure that your treatment is optimized. Your doctor can help you address any problems and update you on new masks, comfort features, or other...
Source: About Sleep Disorders - March 26, 2014 Category: Sleep Medicine Source Type: news
Why Periodic Limb Movements Are Not Restless Legs Syndrome
This is an issue that confuses patients and sleep specialists alike: what is the difference between periodic limb movements of sleep and restless legs syndrome? And why does it matter?
Movements of the legs at night can disturb sleep and lead to insomnia. However, not all movements are alike. In order to understand the difference between overlapping disorders, it is important to get back to the basics.
Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a condition that leads to discomfort in the legs and may even be associated with intentional, conscious movements. It consists of four key features:
An urge to move the legs, usually acco...
Source: About Sleep Disorders - March 22, 2014 Category: Sleep Medicine Source Type: news
Sleep Apnea and the Effects on Your Health
Sleep is not always a benign state. Snoring may not be harmless. In fact, a related condition that affects breathing during sleep may have important consequences. This disorder, sleep apnea, can have significant effects on your overall health.
There are certain symptoms and signs associated with obstructive sleep apnea that can affect day-to-day life. Excessive daytime sleepiness, mood complaints like anxiety or depression, or difficulty with thinking may undermine concentration or memory. However, untreated sleep apnea can have other unwanted side effects.
Sleep apnea may increase blood pressure, lead to insulin resista...
Source: About Sleep Disorders - March 21, 2014 Category: Sleep Medicine Source Type: news
Battling the Bed Bugs
It is a perennial headline that appears in the news: "Bed Bugs Are Back!" You may wonder about these little critters and why they seem to bedevil us everywhere these days. Take a moment to review some information on what bed bugs are, what harm they may (or may not) be, the symptoms associated with bed bug exposure, and the treatment options available if you face an infestation. You don't have to let these creepy, crawly nuisances bother you. Sleep tight - and don't let the bed bugs bite!
Read More About Bed Bugs:
What Are Bed Bugs?
Symptoms and Treatments of Bed Bugs
What Harm Are Bed Bugs?
Follow me on Twitter o...
Source: About Sleep Disorders - March 20, 2014 Category: Sleep Medicine Source Type: news
Fellowship Training in Sleep Medicine
What does it mean for a physician to be fellowship-trained in sleep medicine? If you are a patient, why should you care? Learn how fellowship training may enhance your experience at your next doctor's visit to treat your sleep disorder.
Medical training is really confusing. Even while I was in college, working in a sleep clinic over a summer and completing applications to medical school, I didn't really understand what all the titles meant. There is a litany: intern, resident, fellow, attending, house staff, and a smattering of others. In order to sort out the vocabulary, it can be helpful to understand the typical traini...
Source: About Sleep Disorders - March 15, 2014 Category: Sleep Medicine Source Type: news
New Edition of International Classification of Sleep Disorders Available
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) has released the 3rd edition of the International Classification of Sleep Disorders (ICSD-3) as an eBook in its resource library.
This authoritative text is used by clinicians and researchers alike for the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders. The previous edition was published in 2005. It is the collective opinion of sleep experts from the AASM who determine the names, symptoms, and diagnostic features of the most common sleep problems. These disorders are divided into six broad categories that include:
Insomnia
Sleep-related Breathing Disorders (snoring, sleep apne...
Source: About Sleep Disorders - March 14, 2014 Category: Sleep Medicine Source Type: news
Board-certified Sleep Specialists Provide Better Sleep Apnea Care
New research in the March 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine suggests that patients with obstructive sleep apnea who are treated by board-certified sleep specialists have improved adherence to therapy.
The most common treatment of sleep apnea is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, which remains the gold standard to cure the condition. This treatment can sometimes require accommodations to make it more comfortable, however. If early interventions are not made when problems arise, patients are less likely to continue using it.
The study, "A Multicenter Prospective Comparative Effectiveness S...
Source: About Sleep Disorders - March 14, 2014 Category: Sleep Medicine Source Type: news
Why It's Important to Bring Your CPAP to See Your Doctor
If you use continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) to treat your sleep apnea, you are likely quite familiar with the machine and its accompanying supplies. It may have a fixed place in your home next to your bed, but why might it be important to occasionally pack it up and bring it with you to see your doctor?
Whether you use CPAP, or other related treatments like bilevel, the machine is an integral part of your experience. Compliance to therapy is often dependent on having the right device, proper settings, and the related equipment to support your efforts. The supplies may include the mask interface, headgear, tubing...
Source: About Sleep Disorders - February 28, 2014 Category: Sleep Medicine Source Type: news
Refusing Weight Checks at Your Doctor Only Harms Your Health
My office is across from the station we use in our clinic to measure vital signs. When I leave my door open, I can overhear patients interact with the medical assistant as they are checked in. I am shocked by the number of patients, usually women, who refuse to have their weight measured as part of the intake process. This may have serious consequences.
As one of my professors taught us in medical school, vital signs are just that: vital. They are extremely important and each and every one can tell us much about the state of a patient's health. These vital signs include blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, blood ...
Source: About Sleep Disorders - February 27, 2014 Category: Sleep Medicine Source Type: news
Driving Under the Influence of Ambien
In the trial of Kerry Kennedy, she recently disclosed in testimony her belief that she mistakenly took Ambien instead of her thyroid medication and that his contributed to an accident in 2012 in which she swerved and hit a tractor trailer. This raises important concerns about the effects of Ambien on driving, both when taken accidentally in the day or when its effects last into the morning.
Ambien is typically prescribed as a sleeping pill. It is sold under the generic name of zolpidem. It may come in an extended-release form called Ambien CR or as a lower dose to be taken in the middle of the night called Intermezzo. Onc...
Source: About Sleep Disorders - February 26, 2014 Category: Sleep Medicine Source Type: news
Blood Test May Be Closer for Narcolepsy
Recent advances by Dr. Emmanuel Mignot's research group at Stanford University may move us closer to being able to diagnose narcolepsy with a blood test, as discussed in a recent piece on The Huffington Post.
Historically, narcolepsy has been difficult to diagnose and prior to the identification of its cause, was often dismissed as a psychiatric manifestation. The condition is relatively rare, affecting 1 in 2,000 people. It is characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness, hallucinations associated with sleep transitions, sleep paralysis, and often cataplexy. Cataplexy is weakness that may manifest as knee buckling o...
Source: About Sleep Disorders - February 25, 2014 Category: Sleep Medicine Source Type: news
New Sleep Articles Available from February
This month's articles include some important pieces on children's sleep and related testing. Review how a standard sleep study, called a polysomnogram, differs in children. On a related topic, also find out how multiple sleep latency testing (MSLT) is done in children and why. Consider 10 signs that your child may have a sleep problem. Learn how imipramine may be used to treat bedwetting in children. If you use CPAP to treat your sleep apnea, you may want to know some ways you can talk while wearing your mask. Reflect on some of the most important consequences of insomnia, a condition that plagues millions. Finally, learn ...
Source: About Sleep Disorders - February 23, 2014 Category: Sleep Medicine Source Type: news
Wired Doctors Can Improve Patient Health
You may have already noticed, but there is change afoot: your doctor is likely becoming more wired, further integrating technology and social media into the practice of medicine. How will this impact the health of patients?
As a younger physician, I have grown up with the explosion of computer technology. In grade school, I played Number Munchers and Oregon Trail on the Apple IIe computers that populated the computer labs of my school and the local library. When I was 8, we got our first Zenith computer at home. It couldn't do much, really. It didn't even run Windows. It did, however, have a Lotus word processing applicat...
Source: About Sleep Disorders - February 22, 2014 Category: Sleep Medicine Source Type: news
