Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) Symptoms May Not Be Obvious

Do You – or Does Someone You Love - Snore, Gasp for Breath During the Night, or Feel Constantly Tired During the Day?

If Yes, You or the Person You Love, May Be One of the Over 30 Million Americans Who Suffer Needlessly from Undiagnosed and Untreated Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

If left untreated you are significantly increasing risks for more serious physical, mental, and emotional health issues such as:

• High blood pressure
• Heart disease, including heart attacks
• Depression
• Weight gain
• Stroke
• Fatigue-related motor vehicle or workplace accidents
• Decreased quality of life
• Weakened immune system

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Defined: Check Out the 1-Minute Video

But there's no need to continue suffering – today or tomorrow – because testing and treatment are uncomplicated, painless, and extremely effective. Treatment begins with a confidential consultation and evaluation by one of our board-certified sleep physicians or your family doctor.

However, if you're like many people you may not be certain that the symptoms you're experiencing (or observing in others) are signs of sleep apnea. If so, use the following "Sleep Apnea Symptoms Checklist" - which was designed by medical professionals and sleep experts - to help you determine if you, or someone you know, is at high risk for sleep apnea and in need of immediate testing.

Sleep Apnea Symptoms Checklist

Tired Airline Passenger Sleeping during Flight

If you have only two of the symptoms included in the list above, you may already have sleep apnea or at a minimum, have a much greater likelihood of having it in the future.

If you've checked off more than two of the symptoms above, you are a likely candidate for this very serious medical condition and should seek help right away. Here's what to do:

You may also use our online Appointment Request Form to schedule a confidential consultation with one of our board-certified sleep physicians.

When you call, we will answer your questions, listen to your concerns, and ask you to provide us with more information.

Also, if you like, we will "fast track" the process and contact your primary care physician for you.

Why Seek Help Immediately?

Sleep apnea sufferers have a very serious medical condition that negatively affect all aspects of their lives and very likely is linked to other – even more serious – health problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, strokes and more.

Additionally, lack of sound sleep causes sleep apnea sufferers to feel – and look – exhausted, and so puts them at more risk for avoidable personal injuries at work and on the road.

What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)?

Obstructive sleep apnea is a common medical disorder where people literally stop breathing repeatedly (frequently for 10 seconds, or more) while sleeping, resulting in a serious lack of oxygen.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Graphical Illustration

As a result, their brains "jerk" them awake briefly and they start breathing again – usually with a loud gasp. Ironically, many sleep apnea sufferers do not realize, or remember, that these events occur night after night – and often why family members first bring their condition to the attention of health care providers.

What Causes Sleep Apnea?

When you sleep, your muscles – including those in the throat – relax during deep stages of sleep, which naturally narrows the airways. However, airways of sleep apnea sufferers narrow dramatically – so much so, that they close and air can't pass through.

Several different things can cause these airway blockages, such as extra tissue in the back of throat; lack of muscle tone surrounding the airways; and tongue movement that closes off airway passages.

And although anyone can suffer from sleep apnea, it is most common among people who are:

• Male
• Overweight
• Middle-aged or over
• Diabetic

Why Choose Feeling Great Sleep Centers To Help Tackle Your Sleeping Disorder?

Untreated Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) Can Also Damage Relationships

For over a decade, our knowledgeable and experienced Registered Sleep Technologists and Board-Certified Physicians - also accredited by the prestigious American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM)- have helped thousands of North Carolina residents finally get the good night's sleep they deserve.

So, today they...

• Sleep better and feel better.
• Drift into – and stay – in a relaxed, sound sleep.
• Worry less about falling asleep behind the wheel of a car or truck.
• Wake up feeling refreshed and ready to tackle their days.
• Enjoy more fulfilling relationships with spouses or partners, children, family members, and friends.
• Feel less distracted and are able to sustain focus throughout the day.

And we want you to experience these benefits as well, so please call us toll-free today at 866-499-1588, so we can help you get the good night's sleep you deserve.

When you do, you'll enjoy the added convenience of our one-stop solutions for the testing, diagnosis, and treatment of sleeping disorders. For instance, we can also provide you with top-of-the-line respiratory products such as CPAP and BiPAP machines, oxygen systems, and nebulizers at our JCAHO-accredited respiratory equipment company, Feeling Great Respiratory Equipment (formerly "Second Breath Equipment Company").

That's why we also...

• Have convenient locations in Durham, Burlington, and Jacksonville, North Carolina.
• Use world-class state-of-the-art medical techniques, equipment, and procedures within our comfortable, "bed-and-breakfast" style testing centers. (Click here to view our Virtual Tour slideshows.)
• Employ many sleep specialists, which include registered sleep technologists, respiratory therapists, and board-certified physicians (who are also accredited by the prestigious AASM, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine) and all of whom have passed our stringent educational and patient-care requirements.
• Provide our patients with the following world class testing services:
  • Diagnostic Overnight Sleep Studies (PSGs) - These are general monitoring and evaluation studies that confirm or rule out sleep apnea.
  • CPAP Titration Studies - If, after PSG testing, moderate or severe sleep apnea is diagnosed, patients return for second overnight CPAP Titration studies, where their CPAP pressure levels are adjusted to ensure that their therapy is as effective as possible.
  • Split-Night Sleep Studies (Baseline PSGs plus CPAP Titrations) - Split-night studies are conducted when moderate or severe sleep apnea has been observed (according to AASM guidelines) during the first half of overnight PSG tests. In these situations, our sleep technologists perform CPAP titrations during the second half of the night (see explanation above).
  • MSLTs (Multiple Sleep Latency Tests) - These tests - used to diagnose narcolepsy - measure our patients' levels of daytime sleepiness. MSLTs are conducted during the day following overnight sleep studies.
  • MWTs (Maintenance Wakefulness Tests)- These tests are generally conducted to ensure that therapy is effective for patients - particularly commercial drivers and shiftworkers - who have been diagnosed with sleeping disorders.
• Offer diagnosis and treatment for the full spectrum of sleeping disorders, such as Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), sleep apnea, excessive daytime sleepiness, and parasomnias.
• We accept most major credit cards and provide hassle-free insurance claims processing (we'll even make sure you receive the maximum benefits allowed by your insurance carrier).

There's no reason to allow your restless nights to continue, because a good night's sleep isn't a luxury – it is an active state that is vital for renewing your mental, emotional, and physical health.

If you are experiencing any of the symptoms introduced on this page, or others, please get the help you deserve and call us today at 866-499-1588 or email us directly at: support@FeelingGreatSleepCenter.com