T.J. Samson | Destination Health | June 2020

Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Platteville, WI Permit No. 7 T.J. Samson Community Hospital 1301 N. Race St. Glasgow, KY 42141 JUNE 2020 Healthy fast food Keep portable, healthy snacks—like fruit, nuts or popcorn—handy when you’re at work. They can help you resist less nutritious vending machine fare. American Heart Association Locally grown Put local foods on your plate as much as you can. Visit a u-pick farm, shop at a farmers market or sign up for produce deliv- ery from a local farm. U.S. Department of Agriculture Protect your feet from the heat Staying well hydrated can help keep your feet from swelling in the summer heat. Drinking plenty of water helps your overall health too. American Podiatric Medical Association D o you wake up in the morning— maybe with a headache or dry mouth—feeling just as tired as when you went to sleep? Does your partner complain about your loud snoring or tell you that you often gasp for breath at night while you sleep? If so, you may have obstructive sleep apnea, a condition in which the muscles in the upper airway can relax, causing the airway to narrow or close, and breathing is disturbed. It’s a potentially serious sleep dis- order that raises the risk of stroke and heart disease, among other medical conditions. Traditionally, doctors have diagnosed ob- structive sleep apnea with an overnight sleep study done in a hospital or clinic sleep lab, which is available at T.J. Regional Health. But there’s an increasingly popular alter- native: an at-home sleep test. “It gives many people a convenient, more comfortable and cost-effective means of evaluation,” says Kimberly Bowman, APRN, a T.J. Regional Health nurse practitioner who specializes in sleep medicine. Home testing is already available in sur- rounding counties, and T.J. Samson is ex- panding those services to Russell County. HOME TESTING VERSUS AN IN-LAB TEST A home sleep apnea test is a very simplified breathing monitor that tracks oxygen levels and also measures airflow and breathing patterns and heart rate. In contrast, an in-lab test gives a more thorough assessment of sleep issues and is monitored by a sleep technologist. It cap- tures many more signals, including brain waves for sleep, muscle tone, and eye and leg movements. Unlike a home test, which is only used to diag- nose obstructive and central sleep apnea, an in-lab sleep study can diagnose other sleep disorders. You’re a can- didate for a home test if your doctor sus- pects you have obstructive sleep apnea. But it’s not appropriate if you have certain lung or heart conditions, such as heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. “Then the results of a home test aren’t al- ways likely to be conclusive,” Bowman says. If home testing is an option, the sleep medicine team at T.J. Regional Health will show you how to use the equipment. Your test kit will include a portable sleep moni- tor, a finger oxygen probe, a chest belt and a nasal cannula. The results are interpreted by our sleep team, which includes a board-certified sleep medicine physician. If the results are un- clear, you may need an in-lab sleep study. If you do have obstructive sleep apnea, you’ll receive a personalized care plan.That treatment may include making lifestyle changes; using a positive airway pressure (CPAP or BIPAP) machine, which delivers a stream of compressed air while you sleep to help keep your airway open; or having surgery. “Treating sleep apnea—whether detected at a hospital or at home—can truly improve your quality of life and help protect you from serious complications,” Bowman says. Kimberly Bowman, APRN T.J. Sleep Medicine AT-HOME SLEEP TESTING Is it a good choice for you?

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