Page 10 August 8, 2013 TORRANCE TRIBUNE Looking Up Is Your Drowsiness Is This the Year of the Comet? Dangerous? Sleep Apnea Evaluation Urged For Those At Risk (BPT) - Despite common misconceptions, incredibly fatigued because you’re actually anyone - regardless of gender, weight or fitness waking up numerous times throughout the night level - can develop obstructive sleep apnea, and your body isn’t getting the rest it needs.” a life-threatening condition characterized Get evaluated and treated by episodes of complete or partial airway If you suspect that you have the risk factors obstruction during sleep. and symptoms of sleep apnea, it’s important As many as 12 million to 18 million that you are evaluated by a board-certified American adults have untreated sleep apnea, sleep medicine physician right away. Left and the experts at the American Academy untreated, sleep apnea may have a serious of Sleep Medicine are recommending the impact on your overall health, even increasing following steps for diagnosis and treatment your risk of death. to significantly improve overall health, mood The sleep medicine physician will have and productivity. the training and expertise to diagnose your Be aware of the risk factors condition. He or she will conduct a thorough Your risk of sleep apnea increases between physical examination and sleep evaluation, middle and older age and with the amount of asking questions like whether or not symptoms excess body weight you carry. In general, men began when you gained weight or stopped have a greater likelihood of d e v e l o p i n g the disease. H o w e v e r , menopause is a risk factor for sleep apnea in The sun-approaching Comet ISON floats against a seemingly infinite backdrop of galaxies and foreground stars. women. Your Image credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) risk is also By Bob Eklund results about the sun,” he said. higher if family Comet ISON may put on a show when But before you get too excited, other members have it skims through the sun’s atmosphere later experts caution that it’s too early to know been diagnosed this year. Right now, it’s still far away, what ISON will do. “Predicting the behavior w i t h s l e e p but we’re keeping track and will give you of comets is like predicting the behavior of apnea. Smoking regular updates. Here are some key facts cats—can’t really be done,” Don Yeomans i s a n o t h e r about ISON as we await its arrival: of NASA’s Near-Earth Object Program told significant risk Comet ISON was discovered by Rus- CNN.com in March. factor, as well sian astronomers Vitali Nevski and Artyom In November, ISON is expected to fly as being a detriment to your overall health. exercising - and whether your partner or Novichonok in September 2012. It’s named through the sun’s atmosphere at about 700,000 In addition to these more commonly known roommate has complained that you snore or after their night-sky survey program, the miles above the surface. If it survives the risk factors, many people don’t realize that make choking noises in your sleep. If the International Scientific Optical Network— sun’s heat, experts say it might glow as they’re in greater danger of developing sleep physician determines that you are at risk a group of observatories in 10 countries brightly as the moon and be briefly visible sleep apnea if they already suffer from other for obstructive sleep apnea, then you will be organized to track objects in space. in daylight. Its tail might stretch far across common diseases. scheduled for a sleep study. Objective sleep Measurements taken by the Hubble Space the night sky. Or the sun could cause it to “Seven in 10 Type 2 diabetics and 30 to testing will provide the data that will enable the Telescope in April indicate ISON has a break apart. 40 percent of adults with hypertension also sleep physician to make an accurate diagnosis. nucleus that is three to four miles across. Welcome to the Year of the Comet have obstructive sleep apnea,” says Dr. M. Once diagnosed, the recommended The comet’s head, or coma, is estimated to (we hope). Safwan Badr, president of the American treatment for sleep apnea is continuous be 3,100 miles across, or 1.2 times the width Galaxies, comets and stars, Academy of Sleep Medicine. “As a result, positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, of Australia. The Hubble team says its dust oh my! patients with these conditions should pay which provides a steady stream of air through tail extends more than 57,000 miles—more In a composite image taken with the Hubble close attention for potential symptoms and a mask to gently keep your airway open than twice the circumference of Earth, and Space Telescope’s Wide Field Camera 3 on then seek necessary treatment.” throughout the night - making it easier to far beyond the telescope’s field of view. April 30, 2013, Comet ISON floats against watch for symptoms breathe. In patients with moderate or severe Some early comet prognosticators have a seemingly infinite backdrop of numerous While the symptom most commonly sleep apnea, it’s estimated that CPAP therapy tagged ISON “the comet of the century.” galaxies and a handful of foreground stars. associated with sleep apnea is snoring, not reduces the 10-year risk of heart attack by According to Dennis Bodewits, an astrono- The icy visitor, with its long gossamer tail, everyone who snores has the disease. However, 49 percent and stroke by 31 percent. mer at University of Maryland at College appears to be swimming like a tadpole when snoring is paired with choking, gasping “Treating sleep apnea provides all the Park, “Comet ISON has the potential to be through a deep pond of celestial wonders. or pauses in breathing during sleep, it’s a more benefits of improved sleep, including increased among the brightest comets of the last 50 In reality, the comet is much, much closer likely indicator of sleep apnea. alertness during the day and improved memory years.” Bodewits and other astronomers used than its background of stars and galaxies. The Sleep apnea symptoms also may appear and cognitive function,” says Badr. “Clinical NASA’s Swift satellite to estimate ISON’s nearest star to the Sun is over 60,000 times during the daytime and include morning evidence also shows that sleep apnea treatment water and dust production. farther away, and the nearest large galaxy headaches, excessive sleepiness, trouble lowers blood pressure - decreasing your risk “Comet ISON belongs to a class of comets to the Milky Way is over 30 billion times concentrating, memory or learning problems of cardiovascular disease - and improves called Sungrazing comets,” Karl Battams more distant. These vast dimensions are lost and general moodiness, irritability or depression. nighttime glucose levels and insulin sensitivity of the Naval Research Lab told CNN. This in this deep-space Hubble exposure, which “Sleep apnea can make you wake up in among Type 2 diabetics.” means it will fly relatively close to our sun. visually combines our view of the universe the morning feeling tired, even though you To find a sleep specialist or accredited sleep These comets “teach us not only about from the very nearby to the extraordinarily believe you’ve had a full night of sleep,” center in your area, visit www.sleepeducation. comets, but also yield valuable and unique far away. • says Badr. “During the day, you may feel com. •
Torrance 08_08_13
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