Mercy Health offers sleep testing at two convenient locations

Are you having problems concentrating during the day? Do you often feel cranky or irritable? Are you dozing off throughout the day? These are some of the common signs associated with disruptive sleep. While it can be resolved by making simple lifestyle changes, other conditions, such as sleep apnea, are related to serious medical conditions.

Fortunately, testing and treatment for sleep apnea and other pulmonary disorders are available at the two Mercy Health locations: Mercy Sleep Center at Mercy Allen Hospital in Oberlin and Mercy Sleep Center in Amherst.

“Quality sleep impacts nearly every aspect of our lives,” explained Ashok Makadia, MD, FCCP, FAASM a specialist in sleep disorders at Mercy Health - Lorain Pulmonology and Gastroenterology in Lorain “For individuals who have pulmonary disorders such as sleep apnea, poor sleep can be life threatening. It’s critical to have testing to analyze your sleep habits.”

Dr. Makadia says that sleep disorders can be effectively treated once they are accurately diagnosed. Mercy Health’s team of trained professionals at the sleep centers work together to determine the source of your sleep problem and develop a treatment plan specific to your issue.

Patients first undergo an interview about their sleep patterns and symptoms, followed by a one- or two-night stay in one of our outpatient sleep centers. Our private patient rooms are equipped with comfortable beds and provide a relaxing atmosphere to encourage sleep.

The test is non-invasive and measures sleep patterns, brain waves, heart rate and rapid eye movement that tracks quality and depth of sleep. Data from your test is collected, scored and interpreted by a sleep specialist, and sent to your referring physician for diagnosis. Study results are available to physicians within a matter of days.

“Sleep apnea is the primary condition that we find during a sleep study,” continued Dr. Makadia. “Sleep apnea can increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke obesity and diabetes. Patients also are at greater risk for worsening heart failure, irregular heart rhythm and workrelated or driving accidents.

“However, positive lifestyle changes and use of certain supportive devices during sleep may improve their quality of sleep and vastly improve their quality of life, while reducing health risks.”

Sleep apnea occurs when your breathing is interrupted during sleep. If you have sleep apnea, you may stop breathing frequently during sleep, sometimes hundreds of times, resulting in your brain and the rest of your body not getting enough oxygen.

About five percent of the adult population has sleep apnea. Very loud snoring is the first sign of sleep apnea. Additional warning signs include waking up frequently, falling asleep while at work or while driving, forgetfulness, lack of concentration, mood or behavior changes, persistent sleepiness during the day, irritability and depression, and morning headaches. Nearly all patients with sleep apnea have a pattern of “snore, pause, gasp” when breathing starts and stops during sleep.

If you or a loved one has disruptive sleep, please ask your doctor for a referral for a sleep study at Mercy Health. Appointments with Dr. Makadia are available by calling 877-930DOCS.