Sleep Technology

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the most common type of sleep apnea, can be a serious sleep disorder, as breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. Caused by throat muscles intermittently relaxing and blocking the airway, it can impair a patient's ability to reach desired deep and restful phases of sleep.

This blog is based off of the AAST 2019 Annual Meeting Session "Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Stroke: Evidence, Mechanisms, and Treatment Strategies." For more information on this session and other session recordings click here. Ischemic stroke (or acute stroke) is the second leading cause of long-term disability. Many who suffer from ischemic stroke also have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Currently, ischemic stroke treatment therapies have a very limited therapeutic window and aren’t widely applicable to most patients. The treatment of OSA in patients with acute ischemic stroke is now being looked to as a novel, therapeutic approach to preventing stroke.

As a sleep technologist, you likely know COVID-19 has disrupted many people's lives, and can cause a dilemma for individuals struggling with sleep apnea. In the COVID-19 era, sleep is more important than ever for your patient’s physical and mental health and their immune systems. Here, and through his YouTube channel, Dr. Bob Ledda, M.D., a health and wellness physician at Community Health & Wellness Center, shows there is scientific evidence pointing to the association between metabolic diseases and poor sleep. Dr, Bob, who is a partner at Cenegenics® Alaska, talks about the physiology and long-standing medical consequences of sleep apnea, what the various treatment options are, and what supplements he suggests that scientific studies have shown to improve sleep. 

Two common sleep/pulmonary diseases are obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). These two conditions can occur simultaneously creating a condition known as Overlap Syndrome, which creates two fold the uncomfortable disordered breathing conditions, according to the American Sleep Apnea Association. It results in long-term chronic health issues that go beyond your lungs, like heart disease and diabetes, and their linked myriad complications.