Home Respiratory Inc.
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What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a type of sleep disorder. The word "apnea" means a cessation in breathing or to stop breathing. According to the National Sleep Foundation, There are two types of sleep apnea: central and obstructive. Central sleep apnea, which is less common, occurs when the brain fails to send the appropriate signals to the breathing muscles to initiate respirations. Obstructive sleep apnea is far more common and occurs when air cannot flow into or out of a person’s nose ormouth, although efforts to breathe continue
How Does OSA Affect the Body?
Sleep specialists report that the result of apnea or hypopnea (shallow breathing) is a drop in the oxygen level and an increase in the carbon dioxide level in the body. This causes the nervous system to react with a release of adrenaline, endorphins, and other hormones. This, in turn, causes a surge in heart rate and blood pressure which causes the individualto "wake" enough to resume breathing, though the sufferer is rarely aware of each incident. Repeating this dozens or hundreds of times a night leaves the sufferer with a significant sleep debt and excessive daytime sleepiness. The long and short-term effects from continuous activation of the body’s "fight or flight" response can be very serious. Arecent study, "Sleep Apnea and Commercial Motor Vehicle Operators," stated that "Medical research has shown that OSA is asignificant cause of motor vehicle crashes (resulting in a twofold to sevenfold increase in risk) and increases the possibility of an individual having significant health problems such as hypertension, stroke, heart disease, and mood disorders.
What Are the Symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
A person’s family or coworkers may notice the sufferer exhibiting excessive fatigue and a tendency to fall asleep at inappropriate times, such as in meetings, during conversation, or while driving. They may also notice the person snoring at night or during naps, sometimes not breathing for ten to sixty seconds or more, then snorting or snoring loudly, or gasping, and resuming breathing. They may also notice excessive moodiness or irritability. Excessive weight often (but not always) contributes to the condition. Neither the family nor the individual may suspect a sleep disorder because the person appears to get 7 or 8 hours of sleep. The danger is that although the person believes they have slept soundly, dozens or hundreds of apneas or hypopneashave denied them the deep sleep necessary to restore the body’s systems.
What is a Sleep Questionnaire?
- Download Your Sleep Questionaire.....Click Here
What is the Treatment for OSA?
A physician may recommend weight loss to alleviate the condition, or in some cases surgery to reduce an excess of soft tissue (uvula, tongue, palate, nose, tonsils, etc.) that obstructs the flow of air into or out of a person’s airway. The most common treatment for OSA is use of a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) device. The CPAP provides air under light pressure via a lightweight facemask to keep the airway’s soft tissues open while sleeping. This air splint helps to maintain proper oxygen levels, allows for a deeper more restful sleep, and prevents the heart from being stressedduring the night.
Other services we provide...
- We are open Monday thru Friday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
- Home Respiratory strives to provide exceptional quality, service, and timely responsiveness to our patients. We address each patient situation with care, respect, and confidentiality.
- We have a Respiratory Therapist and a Patient Service Technician on call after hours, seven days a week for emergency response service and new patient set-ups.
- We Supply and Deliver a Full Line of Respiratory Products to our valued customers in the Carolinas.
- 24 hour emergency service
- Evaluation of client for specialized products
- Time and travel to secure proper documentation for patient
- Time and labor involved with trial fittings and product sampling
- Labor for warranty repair of defective products
- Pick-up and delivery of product
- Monitoring use of product
- Billing of primary or secondary payer sources
- Rework of denied claims
- Follow-up with physicians (progress and compliance)
- User compliance reports
- Product and technology training for physicians and therapists
- Arrange for patient travel
- Loaner products while client's product is in for service
- Respiratory health education to seniors in assisted living centers
- Provide oxygen conserving devices for client's ease of portability of O2
- Providing equipment in special cases prior to being able to bill for them
- Accepting assignment (accepting full payment at the "maximum allowable charge" rate)
Referral Procedures
Please fax or call us with the follwing information...
- Patient Demographics
- Insurance Information
- Physician’s Name
- Prescription
If orders are sent by fax, we will fax back a "Confirmation of Receipt of Physician's Order".
Coverage Area
Our Charlotte office is conveniently located just of IH-485 at exit 61 in Ballantyne, we are only minutes away from any part of the Charlotte Metroplex. Our coverage area includes a 35 mile radius of our location. We offer free delivery to oxygen and homebound patients.
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