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This information is brought to you by the fine folks at Health
Issues Today. The information here is meant as a stepping stone to more
in-depth diagnosis and treatment. Health
Issues Today strongly recommends you contact your doctor or other health
care provider if you suspect you may have sleep apnea. This is a very serious
disorder and the sooner caught and treated the better. Sleep apnea isn't anything
to fool around with, get professional help!
The American Sleep Apnea Association (ASAA) is the only organization of its kind that is devoted to teaching the public about the disorder of sleep apnea and to helping and supporting those individuals suffering with it. This non-profit organization is "dedicated to reducing injury, disability, and death from sleep apnea and to enhancing the well-being of those affected by this common disorder."
The American Sleep Apnea Association (ASAA) makes its head office in Washington, DC. This informative, educational organization puts out a newsletter on a bi-monthly basis called "Wake-Up Call: The Wellness Letter for Snoring and Sleep Apnea" that is available to all of its members. Membership in the American Sleep Apnea Association comes complete with an annual subscription and access to plenty of beneficial articles such as "Sleep Apnea in Children", "Sleep Apnea and Anesthesia", "Understanding a Sleep Study", the 'Ask the Doctor' column and the 'Ask the Lawyer' column. Those who join for the first time are sent a medical alert style identification bracelet or ID necklace. Having one of these makes it possible for help to be prompt in the event of a sleep apnea emergency.
This sleep apnea association also encourages its members to become a part of A.W.A.K.E. (short for Alert, Well and Keeping Energetic) Network. This network is responsible for keeping two hundred mutual-help groups in the United States active. Members can request information from the American Sleep Apnea Association (ASAA) about where the closest A.W.A.K.E. group is located. Or for those who are enterprising, you can find out from the ASAA about how to start your own A.W.A.K.E. group to benefit those in your local area. A yearly membership in the American Sleep Apnea Association is twenty-five dollars.
The ASAA also has other sources of material that may be of benefit to its members. They put out a brochure entitled, "What is Sleep Apnea?" which serves to discuss the disease, its symptoms and treatments in great detail. They also have two informative videos. The first is a seventeen minute video that is called "What is Sleep Apnea?" and this video is very simple to understand as it discuss the condition in layman's terms. The second video called "Sleep Apnea: There is an Alternative" is the same length as the other video and this one is geared towards helping those who are put on a CPAP machine as a means of treatment for sleep apnea. Both videos are extremely good at informing and educating patients about their health condition.
One of the biggest advantages of making contact with a group such as the ASAA is to not feel alone with your condition. Joining a support group and receiving printed material from the association allows you to not feel so alone with your situation. You get to reach out and communicate with others who feel the same frustrations, discomforts and concerns that you do. You can share ideas and suggestions and it is quite possible you could make new friends in the process. You may bring ideas to the fore that others have never thought of and you in turn could learn something that could be of great help to you in your day-to-day struggle to cope with sleep apnea.
Written by: Scott Parat
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