Cushing Lions Club learned about sleep apnea at their regular Tuesday meeting. Dennis Jeffries, owner of Jeffrey Home Care & Medical Supply, was the special guest of Lion of the Day Ace Logan.
Jeffries, a respiratory therapist, primarily spoke about the most common form of sleep apnea – obstructive sleep apnea.
“The definition of apnea is: to cease breathing,” Jeffries explained. “Some people stop breathing anywhere from a few times a night to many times an hour.”
According to Jeffries, obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the soft tissues at the back of the throat fall back, literally obstructing breathing.
“Usually it starts with snoring,” he said. “As it worsens, breathing stops but the body keeps trying.”
Jeffries explained the seriousness of sleep apnea and the effect it can have on the body. “They have linked it to congestive heart failurs, weight gain, high blood pressure as well as other health issues,” he said. “Because the person with sleep apnea is having to awake numerous times through the night just to breathe, they often feel tired and sleepy – which can lead to problems while driving.”
Jeffries informed the group that there is a relatively easy solution to the sleep apnea problem – a C-PAP – an acronym for Continuous Positive Air Pressure. The C-PAP corrects the problem by pushing air into the air passages and keeping airways open.
He urged anyone with sleep apnea to visit with their physician. “Sleep apnea takes years off your life,” Jeffries said.
For more information on Sleep Apnea or respiratory products, contact Dennis Jeffries at 918-225-1033 or stop by Jeffrey Home Care & Medical Supply at 1047 E. Main in Cushing.
For more information about Cushing Lions Club, contact Tom Cummings at 918-225-2721.
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