MERIDEN, Conn., September 8, 2005 – More than 70 million Americans suffer from chronic sleep disorders that can affect their heart and respiratory systems, reduce productivity and increase safety risks at the workplace, home and on the roads. Now potential relief for those with sleep disorders and their families is available through Sleep Care at MidState, a new service focused on diagnosing and treating sleep disorder symptoms.
While millions of Americans suffer from sleep disorders, many do not realize that they have a problem, or the severity of the problem. In fact, as many as 95 percent of suspected sleep disorder cases go untreated, says Richard Giosa, MD, a pulmonologist affiliated with MidState Medical Center. Additionally, he says, obstructive sleep apnea, which is more common than asthma, causes more than 38,000 cardiovascular deaths annually.
“Typical symptoms of sleep disorders include excessive daytime sleepiness, falling asleep when inactive and at inappropriate times, and loud snoring or gasping for breath during sleep,” explains Giosa. “These breathing issues can also contribute to high blood pressure and cardiac problems if left untreated, so it’s important to have them checked out sooner rather than later.”
MidState offers patients who may be suffering from sleep disorders a painless, non-invasive overnight sleep study especially designed to ensure patient comfort and convenience. During the visit, technicians apply external sensors that measure brain waves, eye movement, muscle tone, heart rate, respiration, blood oxygen levels and more. Patients spend the night in a quiet, home-like private setting with a queen-sized bed, television, private bathroom and shower, and even receive a complimentary breakfast the next morning!
Test results and analysis are shared with the patient’s physician or a specialist like a pulmonologist, neurologist, or Ear, Nose and Throat expert, who then use this data to diagnose and treat potential sleep disorders.
These symptoms, explains Dr. Brett Volpe, a Board-certified pulmonologist, sleep disorder specialist and medical director, MidState Sleep Care, fall under a general sleep disorder category which encompasses more than 100 different potential sleep maladies affecting both genders and all races and age groups. Common sleep-related symptoms beyond snoring and gasping for breath during sleep can include rhythmic limb or body movements, difficulty falling asleep, sleep terrors or nightmares, headache or confusion when awakening, teeth grinding, anxiety and more.
Patients experiencing potential sleep disorder symptoms often have to wait as long as several months to get tested at other facilities in the region, says Karen Goyette, director, Business Development at MidState. However, MidState’s goal, she says, will be to schedule patients and conduct sleep tests within a few weeks of being contacted by their physicians, increasing speed of diagnose and opportunities to expedite treatment.
“These symptoms affect the patient’s ability to work, drive and interact comfortably – it’s a definite safety and quality-of-life issue,” says Goyette. “We see this as an important community service, and being able to get this kind of sophisticated testing done quickly, conveniently and close to home is a real plus.”
MidState has been consistently rated among the top hospitals in the State and in the nation for patient satisfaction, based on surveying conducted quarterly by an independent, national research company.
Located a minute off of Route 691 in Meriden, MidState features free, safe parking, private inpatient rooms, general surgery, emergency medicine and state-of-the-art health services in centers dedicated to cancer care, wound and hyperbaric care, family birthing, digestive health and cardiac care.
For more information about Sleep Care at MidState Medical Center call 1-800-SLEEP-RX.
Do you have a MidState doctor? For information, call 1.866.MMC.5678.