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New Sleep Apnea Support Group - A.W.A.K.E.

  • Category: Support Groups
  • Posted On:
  • Written By: Parrish Healthcare
Parrish Sleep Disorder Center will host monthly A.W.A.K.E. support group meeting at the Parrish Healthcare Center at Port St. John, located at 5005 Port St. John Parkway (I-95 and PSJ Pkwy exit). The group will meet the first Monday of every month beginning April 5, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

A.W.A.K.E., an acronym for Alert, Well, And Keeping Energetic, is a network of hundreds of mutual-help support groups throughout the United States for persons affected by sleep apnea. The group will discuss such topics as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy; legal issues affecting individuals with sleep apnea; weight loss; treatment options such as oral appliances, surgery; and new research findings.

The A.W.A.K.E. Network, founded in 1988, is part of the American Sleep Apnea Association (ASAA), and since 1990 the two have been partners in assisting people with apnea, their families, and the healthcare community concerned with sleep apnea.

For more information or to register to attend the A.W.A.K.E. support group contact Kristine St. Peters, neurodiagnostic supervisor, at 321-268-6408.

According to the ASAA, sleep apnea is as common as adult diabetes. It affects more than 12 million Americans, according to the National Institutes of Health. Risk factors include being male, overweight, and over the age of forty, but sleep apnea can strike anyone at any age. Because of the lack of awareness by the public and healthcare professionals, the vast majority of those with sleep apnea remain undiagnosed and therefore untreated, despite the fact that this serious disorder can have significant consequences. Untreated sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure and other cardiovascular disease, memory problems, weight gain, headaches and other conditions.

Parrish Sleep Disorder Center, accredited by the American Sleep Disorder Association, offers a free online risk assessment at www.parrishmed.com/sleepaware