Snoring and Sleep Apnea: Sleep Well, Feel Better (Paperback)

~ M.D. Ralph A. Pascualy (Author) "Sleep apnea (pronounced "AP-nee-uh") is a breathing disorder that affects people while they sleep, usually without their knowing it..." (more)
Key Phrases: homecare company, accredited sleep center, homecare companies, United States, American Academy of Sleep Medicine, Nellcor Puritan Bennett (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Highly readable and practical... If you buy one book on sleep apnea, this is the one! -- Library Journal, January 2005 --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Description

Snoring and Sleep Apnea is written people with sleep apnea, as well as for their bed partners, families, and friends, and for health care professionals involved in sleep apnea management. Written by experts in the field, the book covers causes, diagnosis, treatment, and surgical techniques as well as the pros and cons of specific therapies. Readers learn when snoring is a sign of sleep apnea, why the condition is dangerous, when to see a sleep specialist, where to find an accredited sleep disorder center, the latest treatments, and how to feel better fast. Fully revised and expanded, this edition also contains a new chapter on women and sleep apnea; managing children and adolescents with the problem; advances in CPAP and other key treatments; and the latest statistics on the impact of sleep apnea on obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 286 pages
• Publisher: Demos Medical Publishing; 4th edition (January 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932603263
• ISBN-13: 978-1932603262
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #208,919 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Recent Overview: Honest and Direct, February 10, 2001

By	David Kleist - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Snoring and Sleep Apnea: Sleep Well, Feel Better (Paperback)

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"!!

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book on apnea, June 24, 2002

By A Customer

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This review is from: Snoring and Sleep Apnea: Sleep Well, Feel Better (Paperback)

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.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good book but ...., May 11, 2002

By	Albert Mo (Kowloon, Hong Kong Hong Kong) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Snoring and Sleep Apnea: Sleep Well, Feel Better (Paperback)

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.