Snoring and Sleep Apnea: Sleep Well, Feel Better

Rating:
Summary: Practical information and pros & cons of specific treatments
Review: "...a much-needed guide for people who suspect they have sleep apnea, for people who have been diagnosed, and for those undertaking lifelong treatment. I can recommend this book to all those with sleep apnea and their friends and families. Use it as a pathfinder. Let it point the way out of the twilight of sleep apnea to timely diagnosis, appropriate treatment, and a bright future.". From the Foreword by William C. Dement, M.D., Ph.D., Chairman, National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research

Sleep apnea is a breathing disorder that affects one in ten middle-aged men and almost as many women, yet many times it is either undiagnosed or treated inappropriately. If ignored sleep apnea can rob people of vitality, health, and sometimes life itself. It is associated with heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes, and premature death, and is a common cause of driving accidents.

Written in a straightforward, jargon-free manner, Snoring and Sleep Apnea provides practical information for understanding this complex disorder, choosing appropriate treatment, and dealing with long-term issues. This authoritative book gives patients all the guidelines they will need to obtain effective care. It not only clearly describes the causes of sleep apnea, but pinpoints the pros and cons of specific treatments, and tells how to find a qualified sleep specialist as well as products and services.

The book underscores that treatment is available and dramatically effective. Formerly sick, sleepy people quickly regain their vigor, resume their cherished activities, and thrive. Life is restored..

Throughout Snoring and Sleep Apnea, the reader is armed with firsthand and meaningful anecdotes that will prepare you to be assertive about receiving the appropriate diagnostic tests and the most effective treatments. Dr. Pascualy is a leading specialist in the treatment of snoring disorders and sleep apnea; coauthor Sally Soest is a professional writer whose husband suffers from sleep apnea.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Recent Overview: Honest and Direct
Review: Although my dad was a champion snorer, I never suspected that I myself had inherited a tendency toward sleep apnea. However, I've got it (moderately), and Pascualy's book has been a big help in allowing me to navigate this new medical field in which I am now an unwilling participant.

Before I went to a sleep clinic for a formal test, I read this book. It prepared me for what was to come, which was not particularly pleasant, despite disclaimers which say that the procedure is painless and non-invasive. That largely was true, but the same might be said for most enemas, and they, too, are not particularly enjoyable.

I was prescribed a CPAP (continuous positive air pressure) device, and I currently am in the midst of trying to adjust to it. To be blunt, I loathe the thing. Were I not married, I doubt that I would have the willpower to try to solve my moderate problem which, though annoying (that is, a gnawing and nearly constant fatigue), is livable. But to please her (who has endured my snoring for years), and because she does have my best interests in mind, I will persist.

The three chapters on CPAPs in this book are essential for anyone who wishes to truly solve his/her sleep apnea problem with one. There is no chapter of the support group AWAKE in my area, so Pascualy's words of encouragement and wisdom on the subject have been transformative for me. If I succeed with a CPAP, it will be because I read this book and took it to heart. Otherwise, without question, I just wouldn't bother.

I am a high-school teacher, and I have at least three colleagues who have got sleep apnea and either are undiagnosed or are in the midst of trying to troubleshoot/solve the condition. When I mentioned my dilemma to my current classes, a substantial number of students had fathers who used a CPAP. I acknowledge that this truly is a widespread problem in America and that the CPAP doubtlessly is the best solution currently available.

Read this book if you, too, are a sufferer (or the spouse of one); but be prepared for a substantial period of adjustment to the CPAP and its "magic"!!

Rating:
Summary: Good book but ....
Review: I am not a very successful CPAP user. I find this book easy for reading and technical material is converted to an interesting and well-organized book. The negative side is that it is too positive and optimistic, giving a wrong impression that CPAP is the ultimate panacea. If it can say more about the numerous and various problems that CPAP users encountered, and give more practical though not perfect advices, this book will be much better. Hope also it talks more about smart CPAP.

Rating:
Summary: Snoring and Sleep Apnea: Sleep Well, Feel Better
Review: I just keyed in a lengthy review of this book, edited it, saved it and received a message that there was a problem w/the system. Do I need to re-enter the review, or was it saved within your system?

Rating:
Summary: Doctor, patient's wife team up to create `great resource'
Review: If you're struggling to stay awake during the day and find yourself nodding off if you are not actively doing something -- you should read this book.

If you are the bed partner of someone who snores loud enough to
keep you up at night -- this book is a must read.

If you have recently been diagnosed with sleep apnea you should
read this book.

"Snoring and Sleep Apnea" guides you down the path from the first realization that something might be wrong through the
diagnostic process and possible treatment options available to people with apnea.

The authors are sleep specialist Ralph Pascualy, paired with the wife of one of his patients, Sally Warren Soest.

This writing team may seem to be a little different at first look, but they do an excellent job of presenting the medical
information in clear, easy-to-understand language.

Pascualy and Soest take the reader through recognizing the symptoms of a sleep apnea, what to expect during a sleep study, how to locate a board-certified sleep specialist, and why you want to be treated by one.

The writing team provide real world examples of the various treatment options, and go on to explain who might benefit from each procedure or device -- and why.

The 272-page book includes pictures and descriptions of various masks and xPAP machines. It also provides a general overview of the features that can be found on these devices, and the problems that are solved by those features.

Although the information is slightly dated because it has been in print since 2002, most of the general information remains
constant and practical today.

The duo also discuss various surgical options available to people with sleep apnea, including the additional hazards general anesthesia poses on people with sleep apnea. They explore why a procedure that will help a 10-year-old child with apnea is useless to an adult.

The use of short case studies helps the reader to grasp the importance of understanding pros and cons of the treatment options before selecting one.

I cannot praise the frankness with which they discuss dealing with durable medical equipment suppliers. This area often proves to be the weakest link in the patient's chain of treatment. Frequently patients don't understand they have the right to demand better service, that they have the right to select another home health care company if necessary to get the proper level of customer service, as well as patient care, that should be expected.

A home health care company is the company that you will be dealing with if you need replacement parts or technical assistance at 2 a.m. because your machine has malfunctioned.

The authors demonstrate how proper follow-up, coupled with good communication with the home health care company is critical.

Unlike many books, especially books that deal with medical issues, this one can be read from front to back -- or you can bounce around from one chapter to another -- totally out of sequence, finding the information that interests you most.

I wish I had known such a high quality resource was available in the early days of my family coping with sleep apnea and contending with some of the issues it presented. Instead, we walked the narrow road, learning as we went, and often getting bits of conflicting, often inaccurate, information about the disorder.

The authors show compassion to patients and their families coping with this strange condition that has stolen the productive person they used to know and love and guide them along the path back to a productive life.

Rating:
Summary: Best book on apnea
Review: Like my title says, this is the best book around on sleep apnea. The authors do a superb job of describing the symptons and treatment of sleep apnea. They also dispel common misconceptions about sleep apnea- like "thin and young people can't have it"-something which, most dr.s still believe. Unfortunately, most dr.s are very ignorant about sleep disorders, and often, it's the last thing they check for.

My only problem(s) with this book are: that it doesn't elaborate on Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome, a close cousin to apnea and hypopnea; and while it states that UPPP surgery can eliminate snoring w/o treating the underlying apnea, it doesn't explicity state that it's possible (albeit admittedly less common) to have apnea w/o snoring in the first place. Finally, IMO, the authors should have stressed the importance of heated humidifiers in CPAP treatment (a breathing machine, which is the most common treatment for apnea).

This sounds like a lot of "complaints" but the overall excellence of the book doesn't keep me from giving it the 5-stars.

Rating:
Summary: Totally accessible for the non-specialist general reader
Review: Now in a completely updated and expanded third edition, Snoring And Sleep Apnea: Sleep Well, Feel Better continues to be an invaluable resource for anyone afflicted with the health risks and inconvenience of sleep disorders. Sleep Apnea is defined and described, the causes or identified, the relationship of obesity to Sleep Apnea explained, advice on finding a sleep specialist and appropriate treatment are offered -- including alternative medicine with respect to Sleep Apnea. Written so as to be totally accessible for the non-specialist general reader, Snoring And Sleep Apnea is a "must" for anyone who suffers, and their friends and family who want to help them cope with and overcome this health-hazardous condition.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent book!
Review: Snoring and Sleep Apnea provides a thorough coverage of sleep studies and the use of the CPAP machine. It even offers drugs that can make sleep apnea worse - something not usually mentioned. Chapter 16 offers ideas on Alternative Medicine and Sleep Apnea which is also a topic that is rarely addressed. It discusses alternative medicine in a positive way while still warning the reader and suggesting some basic "rules of thumb" when investigating different treatments.

Rating:
Summary: best snoring and sleep apnea book out there
Review: This book is written by someone who really knows the patient side of the illness. It gives a clear, detailed information that will make you better informed then 99% of MD's! It will also save you ton's of money as you try and figure out what your options are...give it to a snorer you love