Chantal Pitcher - Applevalleyscoop.com

30 APPLE VALLEY SCOOP MAY 2012 • Listen to Scoop Radio on www.applevalleyscoop.com
Sleep Apnea - It’s
more than just
snoring!
By Karen Hamilton-McNutt, RRT
Director of Operations
Family 1st Medical
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is about
more that snoring and daytime sleepiness.
Although these are the two major symptoms,
you may also be experiencing other symptom
and health risks as a result of untreated OSA.
Do you know that 40 - 60% of people with
hypertension (high blood pressure) also have
Sleep Apnea That number increases to 85%
for those people with resistant hypertension
on three or more medications. Untreated
sleep apnea may be why your doctor has been
unable to control your high blood pressure
with medication alone. Many people find that
their doctor is able to reduce their blood pressure
medications once they become compliant
with their appropriate CPAP Therapy.
Do you know that there is a link between
OSA and diabetes Effective treatment of
sleep disordered breathing can lead to improved
sugar control in people with Type
II diabetes. Diabetic CPAP patients that are
compliant with their CPAP Therapy, by that we
mean those that use their CPAP for more than
4 hrs/night show better improvement in their
diabetic condition over time than those patients
who are non-compliant with their CPAP
Therapy.
Do you know that untreated OSA can increase
your risk of both fatal and non-fatal
cardiovascular events Patients with untreated
sleep apnea, or those who are not compliant
with their CPAP Therapy, are more than 2
times more likely to develop a fatal or non-fatal
cardiovascular event such as heart attack or
stroke. Patients with OSA that were treated
with CPAP therapy for more than 4 hours per
night had a significant reduction in their incidence
of both fatal and non-fatal events.
The next time someone close to you says
they think you may have Sleep Apnea, don’t
brush it off thinking “Oh it’s just snoring”. Remember
how untreated Sleep Apnea can be
affecting your long term health.
Shaking Hands
“Doctor, you’ve got to help
me - I just can’t stop
my hands from shaking!”
“Do you drink a lot
of coffee”
“Not really - I spill most
of it!”
Did you know that for more than 25 years Family 1st has
been providing trusted Respiratory care
Did you know that we are the only Nova Scotia Company
in the Annapolis Valley
Did you know that every 5 years many insurance
companies cover the replacement cost of CPAP equipment
Did you know that we have FREE SLEEP TESTING
Call for details.
Did you know that Family 1st Respiratory Therapists and
Registered Nurses are available for appointments after
4:30 pm and on Saturdays
Did you know that when you choose Family 1st to provide your CPAP equipment you receive a
coupon towards great discount on our other products and services
Get more for you money and support your local Health Care Retailer – Family 1st Medical!
Caring about you and your Family’s Health since 1987
..............................................................................
Stairlifts & Mini Elevators • Personal Medical Alarms • Home & Portable Oxygen • CPAP Therapy
Mastectomy & Compression Hosiery Fitting • Footcare • Orthotics • Nutritional Counselling
& NOW BLOOD COLLECTION ON MONDAY 8 AM TO 10 AM!
www.family1stmedical.ca
Toll Free 1-800-565-2021 8995 Commercial Street - New Minas
customerservice@family1stmedical.ns.ca
Carleton Road Industries is pleased to announce
that the Resource Recovery Funding
Board of Nova Scotia has approved our
application to the Community Sponsorship
Fund. This funding is to be utilized to purchase
waste separation containers in CRIA’s
efforts to reduce the amount of waste our
Centre generates. This, along with NS Efficiency’s
Direct Install Program is among
the first of many initiatives we plan to take in
lessening CRIA’s ecological footprint.
Our Workshop has already commenced
production on a variety of items, 100 picnic
tables have been produced for Frasers,
benches and an octagon picnic table for
the Town of Bridgetown, recycling bins for
Mountain Lea Lodge and the Supervised
Apartments in Bridgetown and many more
projects are currently underway.
Due to a great spring, our Property Maintenance
Department has completed a number
of clean ups and confirmation continues
to be received from contracts held last year
for lawn maintenance.
This year has started off great for CRIA
and we anticipate the coming months as
we continue to build and strengthen partnerships
and expand services offered to our
participants. For more information on Carleton
Road Industries and to learn how you
can make a difference in the programs and
services we offer, please visit www.carletonroadindustries.com
.