Rotarian Bob Black introduced our guest speaker Ms. Angela Cummings from the Sussex Sleep Clinic on April 7, 2014.
Angela spoke on her company’s specialization in sleep disorders as well as obstructive sleep apnea testing, treatment and CPAP supplies. Her firm specializes in “Improving your life one night at a time.”
Obstructive sleep apnea is a common breathing disorder that occurs during sleep. It is characteristic by pauses in breathing that usually end in gasping for air or snoring. When people sleep, all of the muscles in their body relax, including the muscles in their throat and upper airway. With this relaxation, the air passage becomes smaller. This narrowing can cause the tissue in the throat to vibrate together when the air passes through, causing snoring. The reduction can be so severe that the throat closes off completely ant the person stops breathing until their body triggers their throat to open up and take a breath. This is hugely disruptive to sleep...
Obstructive sleep apnea can become a problem. Ensuring daytime sleepiness can lead to irritability, a stained home life, difficulty with work and concentration, and, most worrisome to the general population, difficulty staying awake while driving.
The most widely accepted treatment for Obstructive sleep apnea is Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy. The Obstructive sleep apnea sufferer is fitted with a mask, which is connected by a hose to a device that compresses room air. This pressurized air is pushed into the person’s airway through the mask. The air pressure holds the throat open while sleeping. The resulting restorative sleep allows them to feel rested and wakeful during the day.
CPAP will only work when used properly, as Angela demonstrated with the device.
President Bob Tremblett thanks Angela for her interesting talk and presentation on the Sussex Sleep Clinic and the health effects of obstructive sleep apnea.