Sky Lakes Medical Center | Live Smart | Summer 2018

disorder. Along with snoring and interrupted breathing or choking sounds during sleep, red flags include having: w w Morning headaches. w w Excessive daytime drowsiness— for example, falling asleep at work or while driving. w w Difficulty staying asleep. w w A dry mouth or sore throat upon awakening. w w Moodiness, irritability or depression. w w Trouble concentrating. w w Forgetfulness. If there’s any chance you have sleep apnea, tell your doctor. An overnight sleep study can help diagnose this sleep disorder, which is treatable. Often that treatment includes continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). You’ll sleep with a face mask hooked up to a machine that will keep your airways open with a steady stream of air. Sources: American Academy of Family Physicians; American Academy of Sleep Medicine; National Institutes of Health If you snore like a freight train, you might be the butt of a few friendly jokes. But there’s nothing funny about the snoring that’s associated with sleep apnea, a common sleep disorder that can cause serious health problems. Not every loud snorer has sleep apnea. But it’s a frequent sign. People with sleep apnea stop breathing at night—briefly and repeatedly. When these pauses happen, people may snore, make choking noises as they struggle to breathe and partially wake up since they’re temporarily deprived of oxygen. Often, that interrupted breathing is caused by collapsed tissue in the back of the throat that blocks the passage of air into the lungs. Seek better slumber Left untreated, sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and diabetes. So it’s important to pay attention to possible symptoms of the sleep The SLEEP APNEA BIG snore ARE YOU GETTING A GOOD NIGHT’S REST? Take our sleep assessment to find out if you should talk to your provider. Visit SkyLakes.org/Sleep-Quiz . Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Walla Walla, WA Permit No.44 2865 Dagget Avenue Klamath Falls, OR 97601 Too bad we all can’t have a guardian angel —but we can help you quit smoking. SkyLakes.org/QuitNow

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