How to (try) Stop Snoring

Adapted from Helpguide.org, Snoring, by Jeanne Segal, Ph.D., April 2013

Just about everyone snores occasionally, but if it happens frequently, it can affect the quantity and quality of your sleep, not to mention that of your family or roommates.

Common causes of snoring are:

Age - As you get older, the throat becomes narrower and the muscle tone in your throat decreases.

The Way You’re Built - Men have narrower passages than women.  A narrow throat, a cleft palate, enlarged adenoids and other attributes contribute.

Nasal and Sinus Problems - Blocked airways make inhalation difficult and create a vacuum in the throat.

Being Overweight or Out of Shape - Fatty tissue and poor muscle tone contribute to snoring.

Alcohol, Smoking & Medications - These can increase muscle relaxation.

Sleep Posture - Sleeping flat on your back causes the flesh of your throat to relax and block the airway.

Snoring could indicate sleep apnea, a condition that requires medical attention. If you are suffering from extreme fatigue and sleepiness, you should speak with your doctor.

The first step to solving a snoring problem is to find the cause of your snoring. Enlist a partner to observe you and help you keep a diary of your snoring.  Observing your sleep patterns is helpful.

How you snore reveals why you snore.

-Closed mouth snoring may indicate a problem with your tongue.

-Open mouth snoring may be related to the tissues in your throat.

-Snoring when sleeping on your back is probably mild snoring.

-Snoring in all sleep positions can mean your snoring is more severe and may require a more comprehensive treatment.

Here are some lifestyle changes can help you stop snoring:

-Losing even a little bit of weight can reduce fatty tissue in the back of the throat.

-Exercise can lead to toning the muscles in your throat when you are working abdominal muscles for example.

-Quitting smoking will help reduce the irritated membranes in the nose and throat.

-Avoid alcohol, sleeping pills and sedatives especially before bedtime, because they will relax the muscles in the throat and interfere with breathing.

-Establishing regular sleep patterns can help you sleep better, often minimizing snoring. 

-Clear nasal passages with a neti-pot, nasal decongestant or nasal strips.

-Keep the bedroom air moist with a humidifier.

-Reposition your head 4” higher to encourage your tongue and jaw to move forward and ease breathing.

-Avoid caffeine and heavy meals within two hours of bed.

-Sleep on your side to keep your tongue and soft tissues from obstructing your airway.

Of course there are medically treated options for snoring as well:

-CPAP machine blows pressurized air into a mask that you wear over your nose or face.

-Dental appliances, oral devices, lower jaw-positioners resemble a mouthguard and bring the lower jaw & tongue forward.

-Surgery to increase the size of your airway.

"Why Don't You Take Medicare/Medicaid?"

As a medical supply provider, we get asked the question "Why don't you take Medicare/Medicaid?".

A little over two years ago, we made the very difficult decision to exit our relationship with CMS, or Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which is the US federal agency which administers Medicare, Medicaid. At that time, in an effort to reduce fraud, CMS was requiring providers to become "Accredited", which is a very lengthy and expensive process. For larger chain providers, this was not as big of an issue, but for mom-n-pop shops such as ourselves, this was a daunting task.

Couple the accreditation requirements adding substantial overhead, with the already low reimbursement rates, and it simply no longer made business sense.

As the years have come and gone, the government has added competitive bidding to the requirments for some areas of the nation. In an effort to reduce spending by streamlining vendors and subsequent billing, suppliers - and by suppliers we mean BIG suppliers - have to submit and win a bid to supply certain areas of consumers with DME products that are paid for by the government. Again, this was an issue for mom-n-pop shops and we were simply squeezed out because of the format provided to those that wanted to submit a bid.

Just last week, HME News, the business newspaper for the home medical equipment provders, discovered that accredited providers were potentially having to go through the accreditation process all over again. Why? Because, "WellPoint, a health plan that owns and administers Blue Cross Blue Shield plans in 14 states, has notified providers in Georgia that to remain part of its network, they must be accredited by one of only three accreditation agencies by March 1, 2012."*

This is a huge blow for two reasons.

For one, CMS gave a list of ten accreditation agencies for providers to obtain accreditation from. This means that if a provider chose one that is NOT one of the three WellPoint has approved, a provider has to switch accreditation agencies. It is unknown what that process entails, since nobody anticipated any reason to have to switch. And as stated previously, this is a very lengthy and expensive process, especially for a small mom-n-pop shop.

Second, WellPoint has only notified Georgia providers, but their industry stakeholders say that this is a "national policy". If they successfully make this a national policy, it opens the door for other healthcare plans to require suppliers to change their accreditations as well.

How does this effect you, the consumer? Several ways, actually. If you enjoy buying your Medicare/Medicaid products locally, these requirements will ensure that mom-n-pop shops can no longer provide them. Most smaller suppliers are interested in providing quality over quantity, which means lesser quality products will be the only option for Medicare/Medicaid recipients. Also, it is widely known in the industry that one of the biggest issues with these changes is service. If your wheelchair malfunctions, service and repairs will be very difficult to find.

Accusations that corporations are making money hand over fist is false. Several of our local competitors have closed their doors in the past few years. In this economy with these requirments, its survival of the biggest corporation, not survival of the fittest (or best). And unfortunately, we feel its the consumers that will suffer.

*HME News, November 2011, Accreditation: Medicare's requirement not foolproof by Liz Beaulieu

Retirement Living, Assisted Living & Nursing Homes

There are many options for senior living, and it can be confusing to know which choice is best for you or a loved one.

It used to be that senior family members either had family come to their home to care for them, they went to live with a child in their home, or they went to a nursing home. Nursing homes still carry somewhat of a stigma, although they have come a long way and no longer warrant that negative connotation.

Retirement Living or Independent Living communities can be single homes in a subdivision or apartment complexes. They are for people who can live without help, but no longer want the burden of home maintenance. They offer a setting for people of the same age and same interests to live in the same community. They often offer social activities, day trips, cooked meals, house cleaning and shuttle services. The also tend to offer other services at a reduced rate to the group such as a community handyman, detailed house cleaning, beauty salon, healthcare or homecare services. They simply cater to the needs and desires of people who are retired.

Assisted Living communities vary greatly by definition. A lot of them are now called “progressive” living, creating a “campus” where seniors can move into Independent Living, and as their needs change, they can move within the building to receive more advanced care and help. These living arrangements allow the senior to live in the same location without having to ever move their home more than a wing away. Some facilities even offer hospice. Although this can be difficult for some seniors to accept, it makes caring for the senior easier since the medical team on the campus is congruent. Some Assisted Living locations only care for seniors to a certain level of care and if skilled nurses or hospice are needed, the senior would have to move.

Nursing Homes are for those requiring skilled nursing - basically doctors or nurses provide services on a daily basis. The emphasis on care is medical care. Seniors can also stay short-term while going through rehabilitation, and then move back to their previous location.

While the decision to move may be difficult, benefits of community senior living are great. Social interaction can decrease social isolation and possibly improve health. Having balanced, prepared meals ensure continued health. And most importantly, senior focused healthcare is at your fingertips.

Source: www.rui.net/retirement living

No Mouth Needed for CPR?

If you experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital, you have a 2% chance of pulling through without long term damage.

The No. 1 thing that has been shown to make a difference is the action of a bystander, and studies show that bystanders perform CPR in only 20 to 30% of cases. According to the American Heart Association, without someone attempting CPR, the survival rate decreases 7 - 10% for every minute that goes by.

Researchers say its not because people don't want to help. Its because they are apprehensive about putting their mouth’s on someone else’s, especially if that person is dying.

Here is a good news secret from Dr. Sanjay Gupta: When a person’s heart stops beating, its not the end. Death is a process that can be interrupted.

Without a heartbeat, circulation slows to a halt and the brain is the first one to suffer. In normal times, the brain, which constitutes 2% of our body mass, consumes 20% of the oxygen the body takes in. After 10 seconds without oxygen, the brain’s functions slow. Without oxygen or signals from the brain, other organs begin to break down. The key is oxygen, and as it turns out, our bloodstreams contain plenty of oxygen at any moment. Even if we stop breathing, our oxygen levels remain normal for quite a while. If we do stop breathing, however, the sole way to make the oxygen circulate is by having someone pump our chests.

The act of keeping oxygen circulating could increase a victim’s chances of surviving by as much as 70%.

Since heart disease is the no. 1 killer in the U.S., the simple act of pumping someone’s chest could save thousands of lives every year.

If you see someone suffer what you think may be cardiac arrest, call 911, start giving chest compressions 100 times a minute, and don't stop for anything!

For more information and to find classes in your area, go to www.americanheart.org.

Source: www.parade.com/health

Ways to Cut Your Health Care Costs NOW!

Believe it or not, you CAN control some of your health care costs. Asking questions, taking control of your care and leading a healthier lifestyle can all reduce the amount of money you spend on your health care, both now and in the future.

Take good care of yourself. When at all possible, treat yourself at home. For example, WebMD.com can help you determine if your symptoms may be a sign of a condition that should be seen by a doctor, or if they are symptoms that over the counter remedies can help.

Educate yourself on the health risks of your lifestyle choices such as alcohol or daily fat intake. Determine if your intake levels are too high and the associated risks. You may find that cutting your intake just slightly can save you in the long run.

Save the emergency room for emergencies. With minor emergency clinics and regular doctors with on-call services, think twice before entering the emergency room and save yourself hundreds of dollars.

If you don't have insurance, or even if you do, try the new “quick clinic” facilities popping up in local pharmacies. Walgreen's now boasts Take Care Clinics that treat most conditions your regular doctor will treat. In our search, 13 Denver area Walgreen's now have Take Care clinics to treat anything from strep throat, pink eye, minor sprains and even yearly physicals and vaccinations. The best part is that they actually list non-insurance prices on their website!

Check your hospital or doctor bills carefully. If you find a questionable charge, call them to have them explain it or remove it. Even if your insurance covers the charge, you pay for it in the long run with higher premiums.

Evaluate your prescriptions. Do a little research about the prescriptions you are taking and try to find generic versions, therapeutic substitutes or over the counter options. Talk to your doctor about these options, and if brand-name drugs are recommended, ask if your doctor has free samples.

Know what your medical benefits cover. Don’t get caught with a huge bill because you “weren't aware”. Keep your insurance coverage book in a handy place so you can reference it quickly and easily.