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| Eric Cohen |
Do you often have difficulty falling asleep? Do you regularly feel tired after a ‘night’s sleep’? Does someone else’s snoring keep you up all night? You or your partner might have sleep apnea.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls sleep apnea an epidemic and estimates that 50-70 million US adults have sleep or wakefulness disorder. Most have yet to be diagnosed!
To discuss sleep apnea, its diagnosis and treatment, Eric Cohen, engineer/inventor and president/co-founder of National Sleep Therapy, was the featured speaker at the June meeting of the Mended Hearts Cardiac Support Group / Greater Portland Chapter, on June 4 at the Learning Resource Center in Scarborough (Maine).
Chapter Vice President Robyn Shaw, who 13 years ago had a heart attack followed by bypass surgery, was recently diagnosed with sleep apnea and invited Cohen to speak on the topic. He explained that, left untreated, chronic fatigue can lead to hypertension, depression, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, highway and workplace accidents and worse. Sleep insufficiency causes increased mortality and reduced quality of life and productivity. Snoring is a major indicator of obstructive sleep apnea. Cohen said, “Sleep plays such a factor in our overall health. When our company supports people with sleep apnea, we provide a very comprehensive education program to help users stick with it. It’s that important.”
Cohen described how his engineering skills led him to sleep apnea and breathing devices designed for those who stop breathing in the night. Today’s most common therapy is CPAP (acronym for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure), usually prescribed by a pulmonologist or cardiologist, that sends a gentle oxygen flow to keep airways open to enable uninterrupted sleep. Shaw said, “Eric spoke in terms that members could understand and brought show-and-tell to take the fear out of sleep testing and CPAP, with sample devices and masks. Eric is now the new standard by which all other speakers will be judged.” National Sleep Therapy helps people via patient education videos, close monitoring, and CPAP Chat., a unique monthly phone support group hosted by Cohen.
He explained that if a person experiences any two of the following: Snoring, Tired during the day, or is Observed not breathing ,or have high blood Pressure (acronym STOP), they should see their doctor to get evaluated for sleep apnea. If a diagnosis is confirmed and CPAP therapy is prescribed, start promptly.
National Sleep Therapy (www.nstherapy.com) has offices in Scarborough, Maine, as well as Concord and Lebanon, NH, and Massachusetts, Vermont and Connecticut. Its monthly CPAP Chat virtual support group occurs on the first Wednesday of each month from 7 – 8 pm. All are welcome – free, anonymous, and informative. Visit www.cpapchat.org for dial-in info..
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| Robin Shaw |
One of 400 Mended Hearts chapters across North America, the Greater Portland Chapter meets on the first Thursday of each month from 6 – 8 pm, usually drawing some 20 people.
For more information, Robyn Shaw, Vice President, Greater Portland Chapter /The Mended Hearts; (207) 523-0883; Robynshaw13@icloud.com
UPDATE 6/24/15:
We just came across this very informative article that we wanted to share with you. In a sleep-clinic study, CAD (Coronary Artery Disease) was associated with the presence and severity of obstructive sleep apnea and with shorter sleep duration, according to a study presented at the National Lipid Association Scientific Sessions. Click here to read the full article>
UPDATE 6/24/15:
We just came across this very informative article that we wanted to share with you. In a sleep-clinic study, CAD (Coronary Artery Disease) was associated with the presence and severity of obstructive sleep apnea and with shorter sleep duration, according to a study presented at the National Lipid Association Scientific Sessions. Click here to read the full article>
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