It is estimated that over 40 million people in the U.S. will suffer from some form of sleep disorder but many go undiagnosed and untreated.  Not being properly treated for a sleep disorder can be hazardous to your own health and to others around you.

There are signs that can warn a person whether or not they suffer from sleep disorders.  Some of these signs are:

• Feeling sleepy or irritable throughout the day.
• Difficulty staying awake when sitting still, reading, or watching TV.
• Falling asleep while driving.
• Work or school performance is below average.
• Told often by others that you look tired.
• Have trouble with your memory.
• Slow reaction times.
• Emotional outbursts.
• Feel the need to nap almost daily.
• Need to drink caffeine in order to keep going.

Types of Sleep Disorders

There are actually more than 100 sleep disorders that can cause the above symptoms, but the four most common types are insomnia, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, & narcolepsy.

Insomnia

Insomnia, which is a significant lack of quality sleep, can be either short-term or chronic. There are many factors that can cause insomnia: health conditions, stress, time zone changes, and poor sleep habits. Symptoms of insomnia include:

• A difficulty staying asleep even though the person may be extremely tired.
• The need for sleeping pills or alcohol in order to go to sleep.
• Waking up frequently throughout the night or remaining awake.
• Waking up too early in the morning without feeling refreshed.
• Daytime drowsiness, irritability & fatigue.

Insomnia can be helped by seeing your physician, reducing stress, learning proper sleep hygiene, and relaxation exercises.

For people with certain chronic illnesses (such as CFS & Fibromyalgia), it’s not that simple because with these illnesses the body seems to have control over when we do and do not sleep.  Typically prescription sleep medication is required in order for us to have any type of normal sleep pattern, and that doesn’t always work either.

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a sleeping disorder where the person will stop breathing, or the breathing becomes very shallow. This disorder can be life threatening. With sleep apnea, the pause in breathing can be anywhere from 10 – 20 seconds or longer and can occur anywhere from 20 – 30 times in an hour. There are actually three types of sleep apnea: obstructive, central & mixed.

Symptoms & What Happens In Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea, the most common form, is when during sleep enough air is not able to get to the lungs through the mouth & nose. This causes the amount of oxygen in the blood to drop. The normal breaths will start again with a loud choke or snorting sound where the person will awaken feeling like they are choking or gasping for air.

Before my husband had his triple bypass heart surgery almost 11 years ago, he would stop breathing quite frequently.  I would be afraid to go to sleep because I was afraid that if I was not awake to jerk him when he stopped breathing that he would die.  Once he had his heart surgery though it stopped for him.

People with sleep apnea will experience what I talked about above and also will feel unrefreshed the next day, will have headaches, sore throat, dry mouth, & daytime sleepiness.

Causes of Sleep Apnea

Some causes & risk factors of sleep apnea include:

• Overweight/obesity
• Snoring
• Smoking
• Family history
• Medical disorders/syndromes/conditions
• Shape of head & neck

Treating Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is diagnosed by having a sleep study done where a sleep specialist watches your pattern of sleep during the night. Have your spouse or partner keep a sleep diary for you to record your symptoms (how many times you stop breathing, gasp, choke, etc.) throughout the night. If you are alone or your spouse doesn’t want to be up all night, tape yourself and take your findings to the doctor.

CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) is used to treat sleep apnea. CPAP is a mask-like device you wear while you sleep that supplies pressurized air, which helps prevent the airway from collapsing.

Restless Legs Syndrome

Restless Legs Syndrome is a sensory disorder causing an almost irresistible urge to move the legs. The urge to move the legs is usually due to uncomfortable, tingly, or creeping sensations that occur when at rest. Movement eases the feelings, but only for a while. Restless Legs Syndrome affects approximately 10% of adults.

RLS doesn’t necessarily have to occur just at bedtime, but that is when most people seem to be affected. Symptoms will often occur when you are in a resting or relaxed state, so if you are resting or napping during the day your RLS can act up.

Restless Legs Syndrome can be very frustrating because I will notice myself at times just when I’m about to drift off to sleep, my legs and feet will start jumping. Sometimes I have to get into some pretty awkward (and unladylike!) positions in order to get some relief.

Causes of Restless Legs Syndrome

There are many things that can cause RLS. Some of these include:

• Parkinson’s disease
• Pregnancy
• Thyroid problems
• Varicose veins
• Sleep apnea
• Narcolepsy
• Certain medications
• Diabetes
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Kidney failure
• Neurologic lesions
• Anemia
• Other medical conditions

Medications for RLS

There are different medications that can be used to treat RLS: anticonvulsants, narcotics, sleep medications, non-benzodiazepine sedatives, & dopaminergic agents.

Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a sleeping disorder where a person will have trouble staying awake.  When someone has narcolepsy, they will just suddenly fall asleep – in the middle of whatever they are doing.  This is a very dangerous sleep disorder to have – for the person with the problem and for others around them.  People with narcolepsy will have sleep attacks even after getting a full night’s sleep.  They will fall asleep while driving, walking, cooking, etc.

Symptoms of Narcolepsy

Symptoms of narcolepsy include:

• Intermittent, uncontrollable episodes of falling asleep during the daytime
• Sudden, short-lived loss of muscle control during emotional situations (cataplexy)
• Excessive daytime sleepiness
• Hallucinations
• Nighttime waking

Causes of Narcolepsy

Researchers believe that the causes of narcolepsy are genetics and possibly an environmental trigger like a virus.  It has also recently been discovered that people with narcolepsy have a lack of a chemical in the brain called hypocretin.  Hypocretin activates arousal and regulates sleep.

Treatment for Narcolepsy

Diagnosing narcolepsy can take as long as a year or more because the symptoms mimic that of other sleep disorders and psychiatric illnesses. Narcolepsy is diagnosed by symptoms and several types of sleep tests.

Treating narcolepsy requires a combination of medication, counseling, and behavioral changes. Medications used to treat narcolepsy include antidepressants, stimulants and sodium oxybate.

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The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry study suggests broccoli may trigger production of proteins which protect against heart damage.  In this study, rats were given a broccoli extract for a month and then the effect on their heart muscle was measured.  Some rats were not given the broccoli extract and their diets did not change.  The two groups were then compared.

It was found that the rats who were given the extract had better functioning hearts and displayed less damage when they were deprived of oxygen.

When on the broccoli diet, the veggie somehow causes the body to produce a protein called thioredoxin, which protects against cell damage in the heart.  But it is important that broccoli now be overcooked because it takes out vital nutrients and diminishes health benefits.

Eating broccoli has other healthy benefits including the potential to decrease cancer risk.

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Allergies Overview

Allergies are diseases of the immune system that cause an overreaction of a substance known as allergens. Allergies are placed into different categories:

• By trigger
• By season
• By symptoms and where they appear on the body

Examples of different kinds of allergies include:

• skin allergies
• eye allergies
• food & drug allergies
• indoor & outdoor allergies (ie. hay fever, seasonal, perennial, nasal)
• latex allergies
• insect allergies

Asthma Overview

Asthma is a chronic condition that affects approximately 20 million people in the United States. Asthma is a disease of the lungs that causes the airways to become blocked. This in turn makes it difficult for the person to breathe. Asthma is categorized into two types:

• Allergic asthma
• Non-allergic asthma

Many of the symptoms for both categories are the same: wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, chest tightness and rapid breathing.

Allergic asthma is determined when symptoms occur from an allergic reaction. Allergic asthma is airway obstruction and inflammation that is partially reversible with medication. As the most common form of asthma, allergic asthma affects more than 50% of all patients.

Factors that trigger allergic asthma include:

• dust mite allergen
• pet dander
• mold
• pollen

Non-allergic asthma is triggered by factors that are not related to allergies. Non-allergic asthma is also characterized by inflammation and airway obstruction that is partially reversible with medication.

Factors that can trigger non-allergic asthma include:

• stress
• exercise
• anxiety
• cold and/or dry air
• smoke
• viruses
• hyperventilation

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But after someone has been sick for several years, and they are still whining and complaining as if they were just diagnosed yesterday, I have no patience for that.  I have had  a lot of people call me and depend on me for support over the years in dealing with chronic illnesses.

I can always tell when someone really doesn’t want help and they just want to complain.  Typically if someone wants help or wants to know how to deal with their illness (a fighter), they don’t make excuses to not try.  They are at least willing to give certain treatments, certain exercises, and make adjustments so that they can still have a productive life.  Those that are whiners, just want to do exactly that – whine.  They want everyone to do everything for them and they are not willing to give any suggestions a try.

For example, I have been asked before about cooking and how do I manage to cook when I feel so bad a lot of the time.  My solution?  I use a crock-pot a lot.  It’s easy, it’s simple and it takes very little energy to throw something in a crock-pot.

How do I clean my house?  One or two rooms a day – never all in one day.  But some people with chronic illness will complain to me and use the excuse that they can’t do just one or two rooms at a time.  They HAVE to do the whole house the same day.

Doesn’t it hurt when you carry laundry, carry bags of groceries, etc.?  Yes, it hurts.  But our bodies will hurt worse if we just lie around and feel sorry for ourselves.

I honestly have gotten to where I try to avoid people like this because they can really wear you down.  If you are chronically ill, you don’t need one more thing to wear you out.

Be a fighter not a whiner and know that you can still live!

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Participants were women aged 54 on average who filled out a questionnaire at the study’s start detailing their height, weight and amount of weekly physical activity in the past year, including walking, jogging, bicycling and swimming. They were then tracked for about 11 years. Overall 948 women developed heart disease.

Women were considered active if they followed government-recommended guidelines and got at least 30 minutes of moderate activity most days of the week, including brisk walking or jogging. Women who got less exercise than that were considered inactive.

Weight was evaluated by BMI (body mass index). A BMI of 25 – 29 is considered overweight; a BMI of 30 and higher is considered obese. When compared with active healthy-weight women, the risk of the active overweight women developing heart disease was 54% higher. For active obese women the risk of developing heart disease was 87% higher.

For overweight women who are inactive, the risk increased to 88% of developing heart disease. For inactive obese women, the risk increased to 2 1/2 times more than that for the obese active women.

That is a huge difference between the active and inactive overweight women, so exercise definitely makes a big difference.

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Vulvodynia is described by the National Vulvodynia Association as:

Chronic vulvar discomfort or pain, characterized by burning, stinging, irritation or rawness of the female genitalia in cases in which there is no infection or skin disease of the vulva or vagina causing these symptoms.

People who have an illness like Interstitial Cystitis, such as myself, may be misdiagnosed with Vulvodynia because the symptoms are similar. I believe I have Vulvodynia along with my IC Disease but I have never been officially diagnosed with Vulvodynia.

Cause(s)

The cause or causes of Vulvodynia is currently unknown. There has not been enough research done on this chronic pain condition to properly determine what is causing it. What the medical community knows are not causes are STDs and active infections.

The theory is that some causes for Vulvodynia may include:

• An injury to the nerves of the vulva
• Infection or trauma
• Genetic factors
• A hypersensitivity to yeast (candida)
• Muscle spasms in the pelvic region

For most Vulvodynia patients, a burning sensation is normally the major symptom but the severity and type of symptoms may vary among each person.

Vulvodynia is classified into two types: Generalized Vulvodynia (dysesthetic) and Vulvar Vestibulitis Syndrome (VVS).

Generalized Vulvodynia

Women who have this type of Vulvodynia may experience symptoms that are diffuse or in different areas at different times. Pain may be present in the labia majora, labia minora, and/or the vestibule. See above diagram for reference. Some women experience pain in the clitoris, mons pubis, perineum and/or the inner thighs. The pain may be constant or intermittent. Symptoms are not necessarily caused by touch or pressure to the vulva, i.e., with intercourse or bicycle riding, but these activities often exacerbate the symptoms.

Vulvar Vestibulitis Syndrome

For women who have this form of Vulvodynia, they only feel pain on the vestibule. See above diagram for reference. They will only feel pain on this area during or after touch or pressure is applied. Burning sensations are the most common symptom and may be experienced with some or all of the following: sexual intercourse, tampon insertion, gynecologic examination, bicycle riding, and wearing tight pants.

Diagnosis

To diagnose Vulvodynia, a doctor will review your medical history, as a series of questions regarding sex life, diet, lifestyle in general, medical conditions and medications, etc. The doctor will need to examine the vulva, vagina and any vaginal secretions for other causes of your pain such as infections and skin disorders. A fungal vaginal culture will probably be taken to rule out an infection that might be causing excessive burning and/or irritation. A Q-tip test may be done to determine the location and severity of pain.

Treatment

While there is currently no cure for Vulvodynia, there are treatments available to help alleviate symptoms. For some people they find relief while others don’t. It may require a combination of treatments in order to get relief for some women.

Here is what the NVA lists as treatment options:

• Discontinuation of all topical medications, soaps, douches, etc., that can worsen irritation
• Local anesthetics (i.e. lidocaine)
• Tricyclic antidepressant medications (e.g., amitriptyline, nortriptyline, desipramine)
• Anticonvulsants (e.g., Tegretol, Neurontin)
• Interferon injections
• Nerve blockades
• Topical estrogen cream
• Pelvic floor therapy (for patients who have pelvic floor muscle abnormalities as measured by surface electromyography)
• Physical therapy
• Diet modification
• Surgery (for vulvar vestibulitis syndrome only)

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At choosemyplate.gov, you can create your own personalized eating plan for your age, sex and weight.  Now these are just guidelines and choosemyplate.gov states on their site that these are not therapeutic diets and you should always consult your physician before starting anything like this.  Also if you have particular health conditions, you will need to check with your physician to see if the recommended plan on choosemyplate.gov will serve all your health needs.

MyPyramid Plan

To get started, you need to go to MyPyramid Plan and enter your age, sex, weight and height are optional but this will probably give you the best plan.  You will also select what your physical activity level is daily.

If you are overweight, it will tell you how many calories you should have a day in order to lose weight and it will give you the required amounts needed from each food group.  There is also an option to click on if you gradually want to move towards a healthier weight.

MyPyramid Tracker

“MyPyramid Tracker is an online dietary and physical activity assessment tool that provides information on your diet quality, physical activity status, related nutrition messages, and links to nutrient and physical activity information. The Food Calories/Energy Balance feature automatically calculates your energy balance by subtracting the energy you expend from physical activity from your food calories/energy intake. Use of this tool helps you better understand your energy balance status and enhances the link between good nutrition and regular physical activity. Keep track of your energy balance history and view it up to one year. MyPyramid Tracker translates the principles of the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and other nutrition standards developed by the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services.”

What Is A Healthy Diet?

A “healthy diet” is considered one that consists mainly of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fat-free or lowfat daily products, lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts. It is low in saturated fats, trans fat, cholesterol and salt.

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Dr. Uri Elkayam, a professor of medicine at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, says that one reason for the increase in the number of pregnant women having heart attacks is that women in the United States are becoming pregnant at much later ages. So Dr. Elkayam says that it is anticipated that the number of pregnant women who have heart attacks would increase.

In the study, Elkayam’s team reviewed the cases of 103 women who had heart attacks during their pregnancy. Women who had a heart attack in the 24 hours before or after delivery were twice as likely to die from heart attack compared with women who had a heart attack before labor or in the first day to three months after delivery, the team found. Elkayam’s group also found that older pregnant women were at greater risk for having a heart attack. In fact, 72 percent of the women who had heart attacks were older than 30, and one in four were older than 35. One of the most common causes of heart attacks among pregnant women was coronary dissection, where the wall of the coronary arteries is weakened and separates. “This is a rare type of heart attack,” Elkayam said.

The researchers also found during the study that the majority of the group studied did not have blocked arteries which are a common cause of heart attack. Many of the women had the “standard risk factors” for for heart attack:

• 45% were smokers
• 24% had high cholesterol
• 22% had a family history of heart attack
• 15% had high blood pressure
• 11% had diabetes

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The study, which involved 239 parents of first-grade children, reported that parents who were generally strict were also strict about what foods their children could and could not eat. They would ban certain foods and would pressure their children to eat vegetables and fruits.

Those parents who were more lax and permissive with their parenting styles were the same when it came to how their children ate.

In between these two groups, the researchers found, were “authoritative” parents. These parents set limits on their children’s diets, but often used more positive approaches — like following a healthy diet themselves — to get their kids to eat well.

The findings stated that parents general styles were important in the overall diets of their children. They also suggest that efforts to help obese children lose weight are “not likely to be successful” unless the underlying family dynamics are addressed. The experts recommend that parents need to get their children to eat right in a positive manner by setting good examples and leading by example and eating properly.

But in this study, both the strict and permissive parents typically failed to serve as good dietary role models for their children.

“Due to the infrequency of healthy eating modeled by both permissive and authoritarian parents,” the researchers write, “food and nutrition professionals might encourage both to begin more healthy eating — for the sake of their own health and that of their children.”

The study was published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

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According to the American Heart Association, the purpose of the Go Red For Women movement is:

Go Red For Women celebrates the energy, passion and power we have as women to band together to wipe out heart disease and stroke. Thanks to the participation of millions of people across the country, the color red and the red dress now stand for the ability all women have to improve their heart health and live stronger, longer lives.

As a woman, you are probably wondering what you can do to help promote heart health. The first thing you can do is take the Go Red Heart CheckUp.

Here’s how to get started:

1. Start taking the Go Red Heart CheckUp here https://www.goredforwomen.org/hcu/index.aspx

.  If you don’t know the numbers needed on the checkup list, visit your local doctor.

1. Once the CheckUp is completed, the next step is to choose one of the AHA’s personal action plans that addresses the specific challenges you relate to:  quit smoking, lose weight, lowering cholesterol, etc.
2. By making healthier changes, you are taking charge of your health and can live longer and have a stronger heart and body.

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