Cuero Regional Hopsital | Connect | Summer 2019

Get the restful sleep you deserve YOUR PARTNER TELLS YOU that you snore loudly while you sleep, and you wake up several times gasping for breath. You get morning headaches, and you often find it difficult to stay alert or concentrate during the day. If these symptoms sound familiar, know this: They are all red flags of sleep apnea, a disorder that, left untreated, raises your risk of high blood pressure, heart problems and even stroke. That’s why if you experience symptoms, it’s crucial to talk to your doctor about a sleep study, a painless noninvasive test that can diagnose sleep-related problems. A sleep study can be done locally, at Cuero Regional Hospital’s Sleep Study Center. Its expert team identifies and treats a variety of sleep problems in addition to sleep apnea, such as: + + Irregular sleep patterns + + Restless leg syndrome + + Narcolepsy What’s more, “while some sleep centers are booked up months in advance, we pride ourselves on minimal wait times,” says Brenda Martin, RRT, Cardiopulmonary Director at Cuero. What to expect As you sleep, the study records your brain waves, heartbeat and breathing, eye and limb movements, and the amount of oxygen in your blood. You’ll sleep in a comfortable, bedroom-like setting at the Sleep Study Center while a specially trained sleep technologist monitors you. Often, one overnight stay is sufficient to diagnose a sleep disorder. Unlike other sleep centers that may conduct multiple studies simultaneously, the Cuero center only has one patient each night, which means you’re guaranteed individual attention, Martin says. A board-certified sleep physician will review your study’s results and advise the best treatment if you do have a sleep disorder. “That treatment can be life-changing,” Martin says. “So many patients we’ve helped say they finally feel rested and can function again.” Take the stress out of cardiac exercise testing Your doctor has advised a stress test to see how well your heart stands up to hard work. It can provide important information about your health—for example, if symptoms like chest pain or trouble breathing are related to your heart. But there’s no need to add stress to a stress test by driving far away to have one: A range of stress tests is available at Cuero Regional Hospital, including: ++ A standard test, where you walk on a treadmill while your ECG (heart rhythm) and blood pressure are monitored. ++ A nuclear medicine stress test, which is much like a standard stress test except images of your heart are taken after you walk on a treadmill. ++ A pharmacological nuclear medicine test with imaging, which uses medicine to stimulate your heart while you lie on a stretcher. This test is recommended for people who have conditions that make walking on a treadmill difficult. Though there’s very little risk to your heart during a stress test, a cardiologist will observe you—either in person or through the Cuero tele-cardiology service. “We make sure you feel as comfortable as possible during any of these tests,” says Brenda Martin, RRT, Cardiopulmonary Director. “As a small hospital, we pay extra one-on-one attention to our patients.” To schedule a sleep study or stress test, call 361-275-0170 . You’ll need a referral from your doctor. cuerohospital.org 3 Think you might have a sleep disorder? Take our sleep assessment to learn more: cueroregionalhospital.org/sleep .