SLEEP AID: Mindy Conklin, RCP, RRT, and
Robert Pickering, MD, work with a patient in the
new sleep lab.
FA L L 2011
CARE .
AT T ENT I ON .
EXCE L L ENCE .
INSIDE
2
Laser clinic now open
3
Hear from a cancer expert
6
Thanks to our donors
SOME
people are legendary for
the books they write, the music
they compose or the gadgets they
invent.
And then there are those who are
legendary for their snoring.
If you've been accused of being
such a noisemaker, here's some-
thing you need to know: Your
snoring may be a symptom of sleep
apnea, a potentially
dangerous but highly
treatable disorder.
Sleep apnea is a
condition in which
breathing pauses
during sleep. Te
interruptions, which last from a few
seconds to minutes, usually occur
throughout the night and can take
place 10 or more times an hour,
reports the National Institutes of
Health.
Left untreated, sleep apnea
can increase your risk for serious
health problems like high blood
pressure, heart attack, stroke and
diabetes.
More than snoring
Millions of Americans have some
form of sleep apnea. Along with
loud, persistent snoring, signs of
sleep apnea include:
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Pauses in breathing followed by
Snore no more
choking and gasping
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Daytime sleepiness
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Morning headaches
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A dry throat when you wake up.
If you suspect you have a sleep
disorder, talk to your primary care
physician or make an appoint-
ment with Robert Pickering, MD,
a Pulmonologist at Fayette County
Memorial Hospital (FCMH) and
Medical Director of
the FCMH Sleep Dis-
order Laboratory.
During the consul-
tation, Dr. Pickering
will obtain a general
medical history and
sleep history and conduct a physical
examination. He will then deter-
mine if an overnight sleep study
and additional tests are needed to
diagnose the problem.
Afer your sleep study, Dr. Picker-
ing will interpret the results and de-
velop an appropriate treatment plan.
Sleep studies are conducted in the
FCMH Sleep Disorder Laboratory
in Medical Arts Building 2 on the
hospital campus. Te lab has been
completely renovated and ofers a
comfortable environment with state-
of-the-art equipment.
To make an appointment
with Dr. Pickering, call
740-335-2654.
Sleep with CPAP
If you are diagnosed with moderate
or severe sleep apnea, your doctor
will probably recommend the most
efective treatment for the disorder: a
continuous positive airway pressure
(CPAP) machine
.
A CPAP machine can help keep your
airways open while you sleep. It can also:
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Reduce your snoring so that others in
your household can sleep.
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Improve your sleep quality.
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Relieve symptoms of sleep apnea,
such as daytime sleepiness.
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Decrease or prevent high blood
pressure.
Your doctor can help select the CPAP
machine that is most suitable for you.
Source: National Institutes of Health
To make an appointment
with sleep specialist
Robert Pickering, MD,
call
740-335-2654
.