St. Anthony Community Hospital opens sleep study center

WARWICK — Is your night ruining your day? Sleep disorders not only disrupt a good night’s sleep, they can interfere with your quality of life and even damage your health. Daytime sleepiness, snoring and restless sleep can all be signs of a very serious problem. It is estimated that 20 million Americans have sleep apnea. If left untreated, patients are three times more likely to have automobile accidents and it can contribute to high blood pressure, risk of heart attack and stroke. “In our determination to serve all the healthcare needs of this community, we are pleased to announce that, in partnership with Sleep Services of America, our Center for Sleep Study is open to serve our physicians, and their patients who may have sleep disorders,” said Leah Cerkvenik, executive vice president/administrator of St. Anthony Community Hospital. St. Anthony Community Hospital invited medical professionals along with the general public to a Grand Opening, held Friday, June 29, to tour its new Center for Sleep Study. Local area residents, who were escorted through the facility by hospital staff and representatives from Sleep Services of America, learned that one in three Americans suffer from a sleep disorder, which can not only cause discomfort, but may increase the risk of developing a wide range of health-related problems, such as hypertension, depression, job impairment, industrial accidents and even driving fatalities. Obstructive sleep apnea, for example, a condition in which the air passage in the throat becomes blocked, can cause a person to stop breathing from 10 to 100 seconds at a time, from five to over 100 times an hour, during one night’s sleep. As a result, oxygen levels in the bloodstream fall, the heart works harder and this may lead to high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack, and/or abnormal heart rhythms. “Not everyone who snores has obstructive sleep apnea, but everyone who has obstructive sleep apnea does snore,” said Sleep Center Director Marlene Salowitz, who is also director of respiratory services at St. Anthony Community Hospital. Patients who are referred by their physician to the Sleep Center will actually spend the night sleeping in a home-like environment, while monitored by state-of-the-art technology. Their doctor will then receive a complete report from a physician who is board certified in sleep medicine. Those who believe they may suffer from a sleep disorder or would like more information on sleep disorders, should speak with a physician or call the St. Anthony Community Hospital Center for Sleep Study at 866-857-6080.