Aviisha blogs

Home Testing Combined with AutoPAP Is As Effective as Lab Testing and Treatment and More Affordable

esmall — Tue, 29 May 2012 21:12:46 +0000

A new study from the Adelaide Institute for Sleep Health in Australia looked at the outcomes of sleep apnea patients being treated by primary care physicians using home devices and by sleep physicians in sleep laboratory. The study found similar outcomes in both patient groups and found in-home testing to be more affordable.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Linked to Cancer

esmall — Mon, 21 May 2012 18:30:12 +0000

Untreated sleep apnea has been linked to a plethora of serious diseases, but this week, researchers will add a new disease to that list: cancer.

Child-Onset Diabetes?

esmall — Tue, 08 May 2012 17:00:38 +0000

You’ve heard of adult-onset diabetes. Just 20 years ago, Type 2 diabetes—the diabetes that is triggered by obesity and inactivity—was labeled “adult-onset” diabetes because it was most frequently seen in older, obese adults. But today, the diabetes epidemic has spread to children and teenagers and it’s proving hard to fight.

Damage from Untreated OSA Seen After 1 Month

esmall — Thu, 03 May 2012 17:24:21 +0000

A landmark study by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine found that middle-age and older men with even mild obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) were in danger of increased risk of stroke and death. In an effort to shed light on the relationship between OSA and brain vessels, researchers at Baylor developed a new model that mimics OSA in humans.

Apneas, Hypopneas, and RERAs

jacks — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:33:17 +0000

The sleep study, whether at home or in a lab, tracks the number or apneas, hypopneas, and respiratory event-related arousals (RERAs). The total number is used to generate the respiratory disturbance index (RDI) which is used to render a diagnosis.*

RDI or 5 or greater = mild sleep apnea

RDI or 15 or greater = moderate sleep apnea

10 Tips for Getting Better Sleep in 2012

jacks — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 21:13:44 +0000

Good sleep is essential to good health, concentration, weight loss, and mood. The better we sleep, the better we feel. In honor of the new year, Aviisha Medical Institute, the national leader in home sleep care, has combed through the research on sleep medicine to create a list of 10 ways to improve your sleep health and have a productive, enjoyable year.

Sleeping Pill Habits are Dangerous

jacks — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 22:33:14 +0000

Insomnia is a symptom of an underlying issue, and is not an illness in itself. By simply taking pills and not dealing with the underlying causes of your sleeping problems, there’s little chance it will ever go away – and it could get worse. And if you are taking prescription sleep medications, there is the potential for addiction, which is a very difficult habit to break that may require professional help.

Does My Child Have a Sleeping Disorder?

jacks — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 22:31:23 +0000

Sleeping problems among children are fairly common: around 25% of children experience some kind of sleep disturbance.1 These disturbances can range in origin from physical to behavioral, and can be somewhat difficult to assess. Signs of a sleep problem might include daytime tiredness, hyperactivity, attention difficulties, and an inability to concentrate.

What is a Polysomnography?

jacks — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 21:22:18 +0000

Polysomnography is considered the “gold standard” for diagnosing obstructive sleep apnea or OSA. OSA is a common but under-diagnosed condition in which breathing ceases temporarily during sleep, up to hundreds of times per night, resulting in lowered blood oxygen levels.

Best Options for Diagnosing Sleep Apnea

jacks — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 21:28:18 +0000

Sleep apnea is a highly under-diagnosed condition that results in breathing cessations during sleep, up to hundreds of times a night, which can seriously lower blood oxygen levels. If left untreated, sleep apnea is associated with a host of problems including daytime sleepiness, increase in car accidents and serious illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.