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Like most of you that might read this blog, I could list "patient" as my occupation. Not that we are hypochondriacs (far from it) but we often suffer with multiple health issues. Besides general health problems like colds, flu, aches and pains most of us also deal with sleep problems, diabetes, heart conditions, arthritis, and the list goes on and on and on. Keep reading

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If you have sleep apnea and asthma, you are not alone! Sleep apnea and asthma are both very common conditions in children and adults. Having one of them makes it more likely that you have or may develop the other one. Having both sleep apnea and asthma may also change how you respond to treatments for both. Why is that? There are probably many reasons. Asthma and sleep apnea share many of the same risk factors. Keep reading

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The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) is currently working to update its clinical practice guidelines. These guidelines provide practice parameters for how to surgically modify the upper airway in adults with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). These guidelines have an important impact on standardizing physician practice and ensuring that patients get the best quality care. Keep reading

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Teenagers can have a bad reputation: moody, remote, unmotivated.1 These are just stereotypes, but there are many reasons for teen mood changes and research shows that sleep is an important factor. Most teenagers don't get enough sleep: busy with school, homework, extra-curriculars and a social life. Drinking coffee, tea, or energy drinks and staying up late on phones and computers does not help, all making for sleepier and less happy teens.2 And… teens need more sleep than adults. Keep reading

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For the many sleep apnea patients choosing PAP therapy, health care providers depend on data from the machines to help understand how well the treatment is working. This kind of data, sometimes called "adherence" data, includes hours of mask usage per night, and also the amount of mask leak and "residual" AHI while wearing the mask. However, there is much more to the story of PAP success than these numbers. Keep reading

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I have sleep apnea and use a full face mask. I am learning what it means to have sleep apnea and the dangers of being misdiagnosed or undiagnosed. I understand the health issues that can and often do go along with sleep apnea. I believe that I need to educate myself as much as possible because I am the only one who truly has control of my health. I also have Restless Leg Syndrome and fibromyalgia. Maybe it's just me but people don't seem as ready to talk about having sleep apnea. Keep reading

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The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) is seeking PATIENTS for input on the new AASM Behavioral Treatment of INSOMNIA​ Guidelines Insomnia is a common disorder affecting about 10% of the population. As part of their effort to update recommendations for treatment they start with a question: which treatments are best to improve symptoms, and which patients should use them? To answer that question, doctors and scientists examine the research to discover how well different therapies work. Keep reading

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Studies of the associations between sleep apnea and heart disease in large communities of individuals provide strong evidence that untreated sleep apnea increases the risk of developing high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, heart failure, stroke and premature death. There are known physiological mechanisms to explain how sleep apnea increases heart disease risk, which include injury of blood vessels and the heart muscle. Keep reading

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Earlier this week, the Football Players Health Study at Harvard University launched a really cool challenge with cash prizes to be awarded. Why do we care, besides caring in general about the damage that occurs to some of our favorite athletes over the course of their careers? Well, this particular challenge is about - sleep apnea! The Players Study is offering a financial incentive to stimulate the creative problem solvers among us: come up with a way to improve "adherence" to CPAP therapy. Keep reading

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Menopause marks the time in a woman’s life when her ovaries become depleted and no longer make the eggs or the hormones estrogen and progesterone. As a result, her menstrual periods stop. Women also commonly experience other symptoms related to these changes in their hormones, such as hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, and changes in mood and sexual function. Keep reading

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