How Was Your Sleep

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VirtuOx, Inc.
VirtuOx Medicare Approved IDTF is the nations
leader in Home Sleep Testing and Overnight
Oximetry. VirtuOx Sells Overnight Oximeters,
Oximeter Probes and Patient Monitors.
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How Was Your Sleep
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How Was Your Sleep
What Is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)?
Sleep apnea is a condition in which there are
brief periods during sleep in which your airway
relaxes and you do not get enough air to your
lungs. Sleep Apnea is a serious, potentially
life-threatening condition and is far more common
than generally understood. There are three types
of sleep apnea, obstructive, central, and mixed.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is the most common
and is caused by a collapse of soft tissue in the
rear of the throat creating a temporary blockage
in the airway. The result is that the sleeper can
stop breathing for anywhere from 10 seconds to 3
minutes, with events recurring up to 100 times an
hour in the most severe cases.
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How Was Your Sleep
What Is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)?
Central is the second type of sleep apnea and
occurs when the brain fails to signal the
diaphragm and chest muscles to breathe.
Mixed is the third type of sleep apnea. It is
characterized by a combination of both
obstructive and central. This disorder initially
occurs as central sleep apnea (where the brain
fails to signal the chest to breathe) then when
the diaphragm suddenly begins moving, the airway
is blocked by an obstruction (obstructive sleep
apnea). It is not uncommon for someone to
experience all three types of apnea in a single
night.
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How Was Your Sleep
What Are The Symptoms of Sleep Apnea?
Often, the patient is not the one who complains
to the physician about sleep apnea, but rather
the bed partner. This is because sleep apnea is
most often associated with such loud snoring and
evident pauses in breathing that it annoys and/or
frightens the spouse. Symptoms the patient may
notice include
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How Was Your Sleep
What Are The Symptoms of Sleep Apnea?
Excessive daytime sleepiness (falling asleep
easily sometimes inappropriately) Morning
headaches History of high blood pressure Memory
problems or poor judgment Feelings of
depression Gastro-esophageal reflux
(heartburn) Impotence Nocturia (frequent night
time urination) Difficulty concentrating Personali
ty changes or irritability
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How Was Your Sleep
What Makes Sleep Apnea Dangerous?
When breathing stops, oxygen levels in the blood
drops and causes a strain on the heart and lungs.
Fortunately, when the brain notices this drop, it
sends a fight or flight signal to the body that
there is trouble and a strong signal to resume
breathing occurs. This action causes a brief but
often unnoticeable arousal from sleep.
Because of these disruptions, the body is not
able to go into the deeper stages of sleep which
include REM sleep where dreaming occurs and Delta
Sleep which is Restorative sleep. The result is
that the sufferer will wake up the next day still
feeling tired, and may experience morning
headaches as a result of the decreased oxygen.
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How Was Your Sleep
Are There Other Consequences?
The most immediate effect of sleep apnea is the
daytime fatigue and risk of falling asleep at
work or while driving. Other potential effects of
sleep apnea include serious health problems such
as high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes
and stroke. It can also lead to depression,
irritability, sexual dysfunction, learning and
memory difficulties. Studies show that up to 50
percent of sleep apnea sufferers have high blood
pressure. Studies show that up to 70 of sleep
apnea sufferers have diabetes.
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How Was Your Sleep
What Are The Risk Factors for Sleep Apnea?
Family history Excess weight Large neck
size Recessed chin Abnormalities in the structure
of the upper airway Smoking Alcohol use Advancing
age
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How Was Your Sleep
How Is Obstructive Sleep Apnea Diagnosed?
In the past, OSA was diagnosed by spending a
night in facility based sleep lab, called a
polysomnography or PSG. A PSG records multiple
biophysiological signals throughout the night
after sensors have been applied over much of the
body. In addition to being able to tell if you
have sleep apnea, a PSG can tell what percentage
of time you are spending in each stage of sleep
(which is a measure of how efficiently you are
sleeping) and whether you have other, more rare
disorders such as a sleep movement disorder or
narcolepsy.
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How Was Your Sleep
How Is Obstructive Sleep Apnea Diagnosed?
Your physician can also determine if you have
sleep apnea symptoms by asking you a series of
sleep related questions. Based on the score of
these questions, he or she can order a Home Sleep
Test or HST. The advantage of the HST is that you
are being recorded in your own bed, so it is more
likely to reflect what actually happens each
night. It is also significantly less expensive
and more convenient.
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How Was Your Sleep
Home Sleep Testing Benefits Comfort
Many people find it difficult to sleep in new
places, let alone covered in electrodes with
someone watching from the next room. Your routine
before bed is not interrupted so we are capturing
a typical night. With just a sensor on your
finger, nose and a small device on a belt around
your chest, VirtuOx can tell if you have sleep
apnea.
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How Was Your Sleep
Convenience
No need to drive across town, miss work or hassle
with your insurance company to see if an
expensive procedure is covered. With VirtuOx, the
HST device is delivered right to your door with
complete instructions and a toll-free technical
support line 24/7, should you need it. The next
day, just drop everything in a standard USPS
mailbox in a stamped, pre-paid priority mail
envelope and wait 2-3 days for your doctor to get
the report. Nothing could be easier!
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How Was Your Sleep
Cost
These days, patients are responsible for more of
the cost of their healthcare than ever before. It
matters what procedures cost now! Whether it's
your portion as a co-pay, the full amount because
you have a high deductible or the entire cost
because your insurance doesn't cover the
procedure, many patients are searching for a more
cost-effective solution. HST is between 1/3rd and
1/10th the cost of an in-lab study. In most
cases, the outcome is the same.
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How Was Your Sleep
Contact Us
VirtuOx, Inc. 5850 Coral Ridge Drive, Suite
304 Coral Springs, FL 33076 Phone
877.456.3529 https//www.virtuox.net/