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Thursday, February 3, 2005
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Waking up to health risk Sleep apnea can cause a tired feeling, but that's not the worst that can happen Senior Reporter Waking up more tired than when she went to bed was a regular occurrence, but a Brainerd woman was unaware of the serious dangers lurking while she slept.
"I had a car accident and you might say that was my wake-up call," said Carol Altepeter.
Altepeter was diagnosed with sleep apnea in August 2003. Sleep apnea occurs when muscles in the throat become more relaxed during sleep and close the airway. The chest rises as the individual struggles to breathe but the airflow is obstructed. The brain rouses the sleeper enough to tighten the throat muscles and the individual never reaches a deep restorative sleep.
Disrupted sleep is associated with serious health risks -- high blood pressure, heart disease, irregular heart rhythms. Insufficient sleep can cause increased hunger and weight gain, and, as Altepeter found, an increased risk of automobile and industrial accidents because of sleepiness. Men are affected more often than women, and while obesity is a risk factor, people suffering from sleep apnea come in all sizes.
"You don't know it is happening to you because it comes on gradually," Altepeter said.
Altepeter traveled for her work. On her way home from East Grand Forks she fell asleep behind the wheel, hit a guardrail and was headed for trees off the road at a cruise control speed of 65 mph. Altepeter said being able to stop the car without injury beyond bruises was miraculous. A test for sleep apnea followed at St. Joseph's Medical Center.
Support is available
The Brainerd Area Sleep Apnea Group meets the third Tuesday of every other month. The next meeting is 7:15 p.m. Feb. 15 at St. Andrews Catholic Church in Brainerd. Contact: Carol Altepeter, group coordinator, e-mail to finallyawaken@yahoo.com or call 825-7253.
Aitkin area sleep apnea support group meets the third Thursday of each month. The next meeting is 6 p.m. Feb. 17 at Westside Church in Aitkin. Contact: Karen Gibson-Backstrom at (800) 688-3754 or e-mail karensback@yahoo.com.
Staples is in the process of developing a sleep apnea support group. Contact: Troy Helland, respiratory therapist working with Lakewood Health System, at (218) 894-8140.
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When Altepeter slept, her breathing would stop and she would wake more than 100 times an hour. Individuals who wake five to 15 times an hour are considered a mild case. Those waking more than 30 times an hour are considered severe cases.
More people are becoming aware of sleep apnea, particularly after the sleep disorder gained wide publicity following the death of professional football great Reggie White.
Dr. Todd Greatens, who specializes in pulmonary and sleep medicine at Brainerd Medical Center, has been doing sleep studies at the Brainerd Lakes Sleep Health Center since the fall of 2003. Last year the center conducted studies on 476 people.
Lakewood Health System in Staples also has sleep studies. The test takes one night. Sleepers are monitored on multiple levels, including brain waves, eye movement and breathing. An infrared camera lets technicians monitor body positions during sleep.
Greatens said sleep disorders became a big part of his pulmonary practice and spurred a sleep center development in Brainerd. The center conducts four studies a night, three nights a week and is booked into mid-March.
Warning signs of sleep apnea include loud or irregular snoring. Aging, excess weight, a large neck or small chin can increase chances of sleep apnea. One of the treatments is a small machine with a mask for the sleeper that ensures airflow during sleep. The machine is known as CPAP, or continuous positive airway pressure machine. Masks vary in size and shape with about 20 different styles.
In Aitkin, Karen Gibson-Backstrom, respiratory therapist at Aitkin Medical Supply, coordinates support group meetings, which have been running for about three years. Informal meetings attract between eight and 45 people, depending on the topic and time of year. In four years, Gibson-Backstrom said she has fitted about 306 people with machines to help them get enough oxygen while sleeping.
Gibson-Backstrom's husband suffers from sleep apnea. Once he was on the machine and his body was getting more oxygen, Gibson-Backstrom said his health improved. He stopped taking those big gasping breaths during the nights after periods of nearly a minute when he was not breathing.
"It's amazing," she said of the change, noting her husband has more daytime stamina and energy for everyday life. "For him it's really worked."
Altepeter has been using the CPAP for more than a year.
"There is no comparison to what my life was like two years ago compared to what it is now," Altepeter said. "It's just amazing, the difference. It's like I have a new life. It's a miracle."
Now Altepeter's goal is to get the word out to others that there is help for them. She started a Brainerd Area Sleep Apnea support group. Fourteen people attended the first meeting in December.
Altepeter said: "It's just good to be able to talk to some people who are going through the same thing."
RENEE RICHARDSON can be reached at renee.richardson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5852.
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