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SLEEPLESS page 67

The

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'Vic ("Premier Rental 'Retirement Community

3-1- as It 'III!

Spy Dint- mato/Id lettere Seirtu

Corrine Stavish - Storyteller

"Around the World and Back Again"

Wednesday, April 10th at 2:30 pm

Dr. Organek and Jeff Stem, technologist, examine data from a sleep study.

Irwin Cohen - Historian

"The History of Ellis Island"

Wednesday, April 17th at 2:30 pm

Particia L. Cornett, PhD

"Foods from Around the World"

Friday, April 26th at 2:30 pm

Complimentary Spring International Lecture Series
For reservations please call The Trowbridge Concierge
(810) 352-4316. Tours will be available following each lecture.

24111 Civic Center Drive • Southfield, MI (between Telegraph & Berg Road)

WISHING OUR
CUSTOMERS & FRIENDS
A HAPPY AND HEALTHY PASSOVER!

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In The West Bloomfield Plaza • Orchard Lake Road At Maple

810-626-5511
810-626-1173

REG. HOURS M-SAT. 9-5:30
TUES. & THURS. 9-8:30

doctors have reason to believe
their patient might suffer from
apnea, they conduct a sleep study
by connecting electronic sensors
around the chest, skull and down
the legs to record brain waves.
The sensors also monitor muscle
activity, leg and arm movements,
heart rhythms and other bodily
functions while the patient
sleeps.
Meanwhile, "oximetry" stud-
ies are performed to evaluate lev-
els of oxygen deprivation and
what effect they have on the
heart.
"It's a totally painless proce-
dure," says Mr. Miller of Sleep
and Respiratory Associates. "Our
monitoring system is designed so
that our technicians, who are on
duty all night, can witness and
graph the actual fluctuations in
sleep breathing (and thereby doc-
ument apnea episodes). They are
also on hand to lend whatever
type of support patients might
need during their stay."
Testing areas are designed to
look like and feel like bedrooms,
pleasantly furnished in pastels.
"We aim for eight hours of
sleep so we can adequately doc-
ument the different stages of
sleep," Dr. Organek says.

Heavy Snoring:
Apnea? Maybe

Doctors caution against diag-
nosing, as apneic, any person
who snores, even loudly. That
thundering sound coming
from the person next to you in
bed might be caused by one or
a combination of factors, in-
cluding: polyps in the nose, al-
lergies-, damaged vocal cords,
infection, a deviated septum,
a cleft palette or Down's syn-
drome. Some of these condi-
tions might also be present in
the apnea patient, but indi-
viduals should seek a doctor's
opinion before jumping to con-
clusions.

If the overnight procedure con-
firms a diagnosis of sleep apnea,
a follow-up sleepover is sched-
uled. During the second stay, the
patient wears a CPAP, which is
adjusted during the sleeping pe-
riod.
The Adams Circuit is a newer
type of CPAP. It is a mask with
features called air pillows. Small
plugs, which fit into the nostrils,
are connected to an air tube.
Cathy Barrett, the portrait
artist from Novi, began wearing
an Adams Circuit when she was

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Nurse Kathleen Skubik demonstrates
the CPAP at Dr. Organek's clinic.

first diagnosed with sleep apnea,
but she was told later that she'd
be a good candidate for surgery.
She wasn't overweight and she
didn't require other lifestyle
changes that would make the
CPAP more desirable.
"Realistically, I know I won't
wear this (Adams Circuit) as
much as I need to," she admits.
"I'm a single woman who doesn't
want to be locked into a sleep rou-
tine that's claustrophobic."
But Mr. Miller in Southfield
offers some caveats about
surgery.
"One of the major downsides
is that some surgeries have to be
performed in stages. They are
painful, and recuperation can
vary widely," he says. "We always
urge patients to give the CPAP a
sincere effort."

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