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4A – Daily News – Monday, August 30, 2010 Vitality & health The Dallas Morning News (MCT) If you snore, sleep an inordinate amount of time during the day, or experi- ence any number of seem- ingly unrelated physical and emotional signs, you may need more than a warm glass of milk at bedtime and an earplugs-wearing bed- mate. You may have a sleep disorder such as sleep apnea, in which you stop breathing throughout sleep. "Sleep apnea is implicat- ed in cardiovascular dis- eases, vascular diseases, endocrinological diseases like diabetes," says Dr. Won Lee, medical director of the Sleep and Breathing Disor- der Center at UT South- western Medical Center at Dallas. "The best way to think of it is this: When patients have sleep apnea, there's a narrowing of airways, which causes no airflow and therefore no oxygen is delivered to the lungs. We see a significant drop in oxygen levels. Sometimes the levels may be in the 95 percent range and during an obstructive event, drop to 75. It causes the patients to wake up to open their air- ways. I have some who stop breathing 100 times per hour. I'm flabbergasted, blown away." Apnea and other sleep disorders can be diagnosed in a sleep lab, where patients spend one to two nights being observed. Treatment is often nightly use of a machine called the CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure). "The beauty of my job and profession is when you put patients on CPAP, it markedly improves their oxygen level," he says. "It's literally night and day between before and after ... they feel more refreshed and clearly this has benefits, time after time. Treating improves their neuro-cogni- tive function. It helps sup- port the importance of the quality of sleep overall, plus I'm sure they're more pleas- ant to be around." The machine can be tricky to get used to wear- ing. But Lee encourages patients to keep trying, cit- ing a study of 1,000 Spanish men published in 2005. "Those with severe apnea had double the risk of death, of major cardiovas- cular events," he says. "Most encouraging were those who wore the CPAP consistently for four hours, 70 percent of the time and were monitored twice a year. They ended up having their cardiovascular events back to what's normal for the general population." He recommends making certain the sleep center you choose is accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (aasmnet.org.) "This ensures the provider is board-certified and has proper training in sleep medicine, and that the facility meets all stringent requirements including test- ing procedures, diagnostic procedures, and that it maintains the quality of sleep physicians and tech- nologists working with patients at night." I have constant cramping in fitness How to know if you have sleep apnea Women faces woes of middle age DEAR DR. GOTT: I am writ- ing to inquire about a medical condition that I have had for more than 15 years with no diagnosis determined. I’m a 63-year-old African-American female in good health except for allergies. The older I get, the worse the prob- lem. my legs, thighs, toes, hands, rib cage and arms. Lately, most of my cramping is happening at night when I go to bed. Both legs cramp up, and one of my feet twists to one side. These cramps are painful. I can turn over in the middle of the night and catch a cramp. I have had all types of blood work performed, and when my potassi- um was a little low, I was told to take a potassium pill. I cramped twice as much. I have gone to internal-medicine doc- tors, rheumatologists, orthopedic spe- cialists, family medical practitioners, OB-GYNs and cardiologists with no res- olution. Dr. Peter Gott help symptoms of arthritis and lower high-cholesterol and blood-pressure readings. And, when added to many foods, it simply tastes good. So it appears that you have arthritis, acid indi- gestion, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia (high cho- lesterol). Statins have a bad reputation for causing muscle pain, cramp- ing, fatigue, and muscle tender- ness and weakness in some peo- I am currently taking Celebrex and magnesium oxide — specifically for cramping — which has helped, but not completely. I also take Singulair, Diovan, Prevacid, a garlic pill and Zocor at night only. In the past, I have taken some cramping medications, such as clon- azepam, quinine tablets and others I can’t even remember the names of. Can you shed some light on my medical problem that might assist me with these awful cramps? DEAR READER: You indicate you are in good health with the exception of your allergies. Let’s review your other medications. Celebrex is a prescription medication used to control the pain, stiff- ness and swelling of osteo and rheuma- toid arthritis. Magnesium oxide and Pre- vacid are commonly used to relieve symptoms of acid indigestion. Diovan helps control hypertension and is some- times prescribed for patients with heart failure who cannot take ACE inhibitor medications. Zocor is a statin drug designed to reduce bad cholesterol while increasing the good. Garlic is believed to ple. You appear to be one of them. I can- not clearly state that this is the cause of your problem, but it’s a good place to start. Speak with your physician to determine whether you can take a differ- ent cholesterol-lowering medication that isn’t a statin. Perhaps an over-the- counter such as niacin or an OTC with plant stanols and sterols might be effec- tive. Because of your history, my incli- nation is to have you refrain from red- yeast-rice products only because they include lovastatin-like substances. Try drinking pickle juice or eating dill pick- les for relief from your cramps. Last but not least, place one bar of soap (or more) under your bedsheet near the part of your body that cramps for additional relief. To provide related information, I am sending you copies of my Health Reports “Understanding Cholesterol” and “Com- pelling Home Remedies.” Other readers who would like copies should send a self-addressed stamped No. 10 envelope and a $2 check or money order for each report to Newsletter, P.O. Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092-0167. Be sure to mention the title(s) or print an order form off my website at www.AskDr- GottMD.com. Dr. Peter H. Gott is a retired physician and the author of several books, including “Live Longer, Live Better,” “Dr. Gott’s No Flour, No Sugar Diet” and “Dr. Gott’s No Flour, No Sugar Cookbook,” which are available at most bookstores or online. His website is www.AskDrGottMD.com. PAID ADVERTISEMENT I For information on participation in Kids & Families call (530) 527-2151 P.A.W.S. 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