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MORE THAN A SNORE – LEARN THE SIGNS, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA (OSA)

Sleep centers offer a safe and comfortable setting for the diagnosis and testing of OSA

Dr. Fariha Abbasi-Feinberg

Practicing Sleep Medicine Physician with Millennium Physician Group in Fort Meyers, Fla.

Many patients are delaying or avoiding medical care due to COVID-19 concerns, including delaying care for common, treatable sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Over 30 million adults in the U.S. have OSA and about 23.5 million of them are undiagnosed. OSA is a common and serious sleep disorder that causes you to stop breathing during sleep. When this happens, your oxygen level drops, which can cause multiple awakenings from sleep during the night. You often are unaware of these episodes while sleeping. It is important for patients to understand that a problem with snoring could be something much more serious, like OSA.

More than a Snore – Five Warning Signs For Sleep Apnea

• Snoring: Loud and frequent snoring is a common symptom of sleep apnea. While not everyone who snores has this sleep disease, snoring is a warning sign that should be taken seriously.
• Choking or gasping during sleep: When snoring is paired with choking, gasping or silent breathing pauses during sleep, it’s a reliable indicator of sleep apnea.
• Fatigue or daytime sleepiness: Excessive daytime sleepiness often occurs because sleep apnea causes numerous awakenings throughout the night, preventing your body from getting the quality sleep it needs.
• Obesity: An adult with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher is obese, and the risk of sleep apnea increases with the amount of excess body weight.
• High blood pressure: Between 30 and 40 percent of adults with high blood pressure also have sleep apnea, and getting treatment for sleep apnea is a proven means of decreasing blood pressure.

Fortunately, many of the damaging effects of sleep apnea can be stopped, and even reversed, through proper diagnosis and treatment at an accredited sleep center. On April 29, Dr. Fariha Abbasi-Feinberg will be available to discuss the signs and symptoms of OSA, treatment options (including CPAP), and what to expect when visiting an accredited sleep center. Sleep centers offer a safe and comfortable setting for the assessment of people with suspected OSA.

For more information please visit: www.aasm.org

MORE ABOUT DR. FARIHA ABBASI-FEINBERG:

Fariha Abbasi-Feinberg, MD, is a board member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and is board-certified in sleep medicine and neurology. She is a practicing sleep medicine physician with Millennium Physician Group in Fort Meyers, Fla. Dr. Abbasi-Feinberg specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea, narcolepsy and restless legs syndrome. She completed her neurology training at the University of Maryland Medical System as well as a fellowship in neurophysiology.