Reviews and Notes: Snoring and Sleep Apnea: Personal and Family Guide to Diagnosis and Treatment

Snoring and Sleep Apnea: Personal and Family Guide to Diagnosis and Treatment

Ralph A. Pascualy and Sally Warren Soest. 238 pages. New York: Raven Press; 1994. $19.00.

Is sleep apnea really a problem in 10% of the general population, 80% to 90% of whom have not been diagnosed? This book recommends that anyone with one or two symptoms be studied to determine whether they have sleep apnea and whether it is serious enough to warrant medical or surgical treatment, or even continuous positive pressure breathing during the night (CPAP). Symptoms that the authors consider potentially significant include loud irregular snoring with snorts and gasps; apneic pauses in breathing during sleep; excessive daytime sleepiness and fatigue; changes in alertness, memory, personality, and behavior; impotence; morning headaches; and enuresis. The authors recommend that persons with any of these symptoms be studied by a "physician who specializes in sleep disorders so that other disorders can be ruled out and the correct diagnosis made." The book is dedicated to Senator Mark Hatfield and to Dr. William Dement, "whose tireless efforts enabled the establishment of the National Center for Sleep Disorders Research," and "to all those persistent medical pioneers—the users of CPAP." The book's publication was "made possible in part by the generous support of ResCare, Inc., manufacturer of CPAP products"