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Winchester Hospital Sleep Disorders Center Offers Free Program for People with Sleep Apnea
Winchester, Mass. – Approximately 18 million Americans aren’t getting a good night’s sleep due to sleep apnea, a disorder in which breathing is interrupted through excessive snoring, pauses in breathing and episodes of choking or gasping. In addition to causing excessive daytime sleepiness and other symptoms, sleep apnea has been linked to medical conditions including diabetes, hypertension, stroke and heart disease.
According to Dr. Najmuddin Patwa, medical director of Winchester Hospital’s Sleep Disorders Center in Woburn, sleep apnea affects people of all ages, but is twice as common in men than in women. Gauging the severity of the problem is difficult until it is appropriately evaluated.
“It’s important for people with sleep apnea and all other sleep disorders to discuss these problems with their health care providers,” said Dr. Patwa, a diplomate of the American Board of Sleep Medicine. “Because our sleep time occupies one-third of our lives, its impact is significant.”
On Monday, Nov. 9 from 6 to 9 p.m., Dr. Patwa will lead a free A.W.A.K.E. (Alert, Well And Keeping Energetic) session in Woburn, at which he will answer questions regarding sleep. He will also present recently published research to support that weight loss and weight loss surgery are proven to cure or greatly improve sleep apnea in most patients whose weight is a major factor in their health problems. The event will be held down the hall from the entrance to the Winchester Hospital Sleep Disorders Center, in the first floor Keating Conference Room of Baldwin Park I, 12 Alfred St. in Woburn.
Dr. Patwa will be joined in the workshop by Winchester Hospital surgeon Jeffrey L. Brown, MD, who performs minimally invasive laparoscopic weight loss surgery procedures on morbidly obese patients – many of whom suffer from sleep apnea. Dr. Brown will discuss the body mass index that defines obesity; types of surgery (bypass and band); the differences between a laparoscopic and open procedure; complications; and program requirements.
Sleep apnea patients are encouraged to bring CPAP (Continuous Positive Air Pressure) machines, nasal masks and other sleep disorder aides for testing and evaluation. Tours of the Winchester Hospital Sleep Disorders Center will be given from 6 to 9 p.m., and refreshments will be provided.
Accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the Winchester Hospital Sleep Disorders Center diagnoses and treats all sleep disorders, including sleep apnea, narcolepsy, parasomnia, chronic insomnia, circadian rhythm abnormalities, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), Periodic Limb Movement Disorder and Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS).
To learn more or register for the A.W.A.K.E. session at the Winchester Hospital Sleep Disorders Center, call (781) 756-2325. All insurance plans are accepted.
About Winchester Hospital
Winchester Hospital is the first community hospital in Massachusetts to earn Magnet recognition, the American Nurses Association’s highest honor for nursing excellence. As the northwest suburban Boston area’s leading provider of comprehensive health care services, the 229-bed facility provides care in general, bariatric and vascular surgery, orthopedics, pediatrics, cardiology, pulmonary medicine, oncology, gastroenterology, rehabilitation, radiation oncology, pain management, obstetrics/gynecology and a Level IIB Special Care Nursery. Winchester Hospital has clinical affiliations with several nationally recognized hospitals in the region, including Children’s Hospital Boston, Tufts Medical Center and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. To learn more, visit www.winchesterhospital.org. |
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