The Record Special Sections Health Quarterly 02-16-2020 | Página 8

8 ❚ SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2020 ❚ THE RECORD
HEALTH QUARTERLY / ADVERTISING SECTION
HOLY NAME MEDICAL CENTER
At-Home Sleep Test
WatchPAT Device Can Identify
Sleep Apnea Condition
Without an Overnight Stay in Sleep Center
D
o you have a partner
whose snoring shakes the
paint off the walls?
As annoying as this may
be, and let’s face it, if it seriously
interferes
with your
sleep, it jets
from annoy-
ing to infur-
iating quickly,
such consis-
tent snoring
may be a prelude to a serious
health condition.
eligible patients can test at home.
“Using the WatchPAT device,
which is basically wearing a watch
and finger monitor to bed, along
with a small sensor that attaches
to the chest, patients can find out
whether they are suffering from
sleep apnea,” said Reetu Sookraj,
a nurse practitioner who works
with patients at Holy Name’s Sleep
Center. “You usually get your re-
sults faster because it takes doc-
tors less time to interpret this data
than a standard sleep test and it’s
really non-restrictive while sleeping.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF HOLY NAME MEDICAL CENTER
Bresne Castillo, sleep technologist at Holy Name’s Sleep Center,
explains how the WatchPat works to patient William Cron.
Persistent snoring is often
accompanied by pauses in breath-
ing, with the sleeper waking up
gasping for air. This condition,
known as sleep apnea, is typically
diagnosed by overnight monitor-
ing at a sleep center. Now, thanks
to advanced technology offered
at Holy Name Medical Center,
Members of the sleep study
team at Holy Name meet with
each patient to determine what
type of sleep test is appropriate.
Patients on certain medications
or those with a pacemaker, for
example, might not qualify for the
home study with the WatchPAT,
however Holy Name Medical Center
has another home testing device
they can use. For those who stay
in the sleep center, Holy Name’s
hotel-quality accommodations
and compassionate staff ensure
each patient is well cared for and
comfortable.
THE DANGER
OF SLEEP APNEA
Sleep apnea affects one in
five adults, more often men than
women. The condition prevents
restorative sleep and is associated
with high blood pressure, arrhyth-
mia, heart failure, heart attack and
stroke.
“There is a lot of research that
points to the relationship between
sleep apnea and hypertension
and cardiovascular disease,” said
Dr. Adam Glassman, the medical
director of the Sleep Center
at Holy Name Medical Center.
“It is important that people with
these symptoms learn whether
they have sleep apnea and if they
do, to receive treatment for the
condition.”
These hypertensive and
cardiovascular conditions are
serious. Heart disease is the lead-
ing cause of death in the United
States. Stroke is also a leading
cause of death, and those who
do survive are often left disabled.
Heart failure, which is different
from a heart attack and occurs
when the heart cannot pump
enough blood and oxygen to the
body’s organs, affects 6.5 million
adults in the U.S.
“So many people with sleep
apnea are undiagnosed,” said
Aimee Jengo, the manager of
Holy Name’s Sleep Center. “In
addition to cardiac conditions, it
can also contribute to diabetes,
chronic insomnia, depression and
dementia. People with untreated
sleep apnea are at a higher risk for
motor vehicle accidents, increased
workplace accidents and poor work
The WatchPAT device allows patients, such as William Cron, the
convenience of being tested for sleep apnea while at home. Other
methods of testing may require an overnight stay in the sleep center.
performance.”
Sleep apnea also causes per-
sistent episodes of lower oxygen
levels in the blood, increased
carbon dioxide and more inflam-
mation throughout the body. Over
times, all of this can damage heart
function.
When people stop breathing
during sleep, their heart rate
drops. When they then gasp for
air, that involuntary reflex causes
the heart rate to accelerate, which
makes their blood pressure rise.
WHAT IS THE WatchPAT?
The WatchPAT is a three-part
device that you use for one night
while sleeping. It includes a round
sensor about the size of a half-
dollar that attaches to your chest.
You put the watch on your non-
dominant hand and place a finger
from the same hand into a small
tube-like monitor.
“It’s very user-friendly and
convenient,” said Bresne Castillo,
RPSGT, a sleep technologist at
Holy Name’s Sleep Center. “It’s so
easy to use and gives you peace
of mind after just one night.”
The WatchPAT records the
patient’s sleep stages, the amount
of oxygen in the blood, snoring
frequency, body position and
chest movement. A physician
then interprets this data to deter-
mine if a person has sleep apnea.
A prescription is needed for
any sleep study. Once patients
arrive at Holy Name, they will
meet with the sleep study
team and learn how to use the
WatchPAT. Holy Name’s team
makes sure patients understand
all aspects of the test and how to
operate the device. Patients test
that night and return the device
the next day.
SYMPTOMS
OF SLEEP APNEA
Many people are completely
unaware they have sleep apnea.
They may not know that they
snore or that they have difficulty
breathing during sleep. Others
think their snoring is benign. But
there are symptoms to be aware
of that may signal sleep apnea.
People with sleep apnea are
typically sleep deprived so they
may feel tired often, have difficul-
ty concentrating, be depressed or
irritable, experience sexual dys-
function and have learning and
memory difficulties. They may fall
asleep at inappropriate times, like
at work or while driving.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF
SLEEP APNEA
There are two types of sleep
apnea: obstructive and central
sleep apnea. Obstructive is the
most common and occurs when
the muscles in the back of the
throat relax and fail to keep the
airway open. It typically occurs in
large men and women but people
with smaller physiques are also
afflicted.
Central sleep apnea is a
neurological condition and much
less common. It occurs when the
brain does not send the proper
signals to the muscles that control
breathing.
The WatchPAT diagnoses both
types of sleep apnea.
TREATMENT
Once you’ve been diagnosed
with sleep apnea, your doctor will
discuss your treatment options.
The most common method of
treating sleep apnea is wearing a
continuous positive airway pres-
sure device, known as a CPAP,
through the night.