Narcolepsy Center - New Bedford, MA
New Bedford Sleep Specialist Doctors for NarcolepsyType of Physician: Sleep Specialist What is a Sleep Specialist? A subspecialty certification by the Board of Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, or Psychiatry & Neurology; practitioners are trained in the diagnosis and management of clinical conditions that occur during sleep, that disturb sleep, or that are affected by dis Specialty: Sleep Medicine Common Name: Sleep Medicine Sleep Specialist Doctors in New Bedford * Arun B Rajan MD  Sleep Health Centers  Sleep Health Centers  Sleep Health Centers  Sleep Health Centers  Harbor Medical & Associates  Caritas Pulmonary & Sleep Medicine  Boston Medical Center Pulmonary  Sleep Health Centers  Sleep Health Centers  Sleep Health Centers  Sleep Health Centers  Sleep Health Centers  Sleep Health Centers  Sleep Health Centers  Sleep Health Centers  Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital  Sleep Health Centers  Jayant G Phadke MD  The Physicians of 200 Lincoln St  UMass Memorial Pulmonary Center  UMass Memorial Pulmonary Center  Lung Specialists of The Merrimack Valley New Bedford, MassachusettsUpcoming Local Events2012-06-16
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NarcolepsyWhat is narcolepsy?Narcolepsy is a chronic disease of the central nervous system. Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is the main symptom and is present in 100% of patients with narcolepsy. Other primary symptoms of narcolepsy include:
Additional symptoms include disturbed nocturnal sleep and automatic behavior (patients carry out certain actions without conscious awareness). All of the symptoms of narcolepsy may be present in various combinations and degrees of severity. Narcolepsy usually begins in teenagers or young adults and affects both sexes equally. The first symptom to appear is excessive daytime sleepiness, which may remain unrecognized for a long time in that it develops gradually over time. The other symptoms can follow excessive daytime sleepiness by months or years.
How common is narcolepsy?The prevalence of narcolepsy is similar to that of Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis. In the United States, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke estimates narcolepsy affects one in every 2,000 people. However, in some countries (for example, Israel), the prevalence of narcolepsy is much lower (one per 500,000) while in other countries (for example, Japan), it is much higher (one per 600). The American Sleep Association estimates that approximately 125,000 to 200,000 Americans suffer from narcolepsy, but only fewer than 50,000 are properly diagnosed. Narcolepsy often remains undiagnosed or misdiagnosed for several years. This may occur because physicians do not consider the diagnosis of narcolepsy frequently enough. They may think of narcolepsy only in people who have the main symptom of excessive daytime sleepiness. Narcolepsy may not be considered in the evaluation o... Recommended Reading Related to NarcolepsyWhat is sleep apnea?Sleep apnea is a disorder characterized by a reduction or pause of breathing (airflow) during sleep. It is common among adults but rare among children. Although a diagnosis of sleep apnea often will be suspected on the basis of a person's medical history, there are several tests that can be used to confirm the diagnosis. The treatment of sleep apnea may be either surgical or nonsurgical. An apnea is a period of time during which breathing stops or is markedly reduced. In simplified terms, an apnea occurs when a person stops breathing for 10 seconds or more. If you stop breathing completely or take less than 25% of a normal breath for a period that lasts 10 seconds or more, this is an apnea. This definition includes complete stoppage of airflow. Other definitions of apnea that may be used include at least a 4% drop in oxygen in the blood, a direct result of the reduction in the transfer of oxygen into the blood when breathing stops. ...Other Related Narcolepsy ArticlesEmergency Contact for New Bedford
Nearby New Bedford Hospitals *St Luke's Hospital New Bedford Rehabilitation Hospital Charlton Memorial Hospital Saint Anne's Hospital Tobey Hospital Falmouth Hospital Morton Hospital & Medical Center Taunton State Hospital Newport Hospital Martha's Vineyard Hospital Bradley Hospital Rehabilitation Hospital of the Cape & Islands Jordan Hospital Hasbro Children's Hospital Rhode Island Hospital Sturdy Memorial Hospital Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island Butler Hospital Kent Hospital Southern New England Rehabilitation Center St Joseph Health Services Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island The Miriam Hospital  Eleanor Slater Hospital Pastore Center  Providence VA Medical Center  Roger Williams Medical Center  Arbour-Fuller Hospital  Boston VA Healthcare System Brockton  Our Lady of Fatima Hospital  Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital  Caritas Good Samaritan Medical Center  South County Hospital  Kindred Specialty Hospital Stoughton  Pembroke Hospital  Cape Cod Hospital Featured Articles*Provider Directory Terms of Use: The WebMD 'Provider Directory' is provided by WebMD for use by the general public as a quick reference of information about Providers. The Provider Directory is not intended as a tool for verifying the credentials, qualifications, or abilities of any Provider contained therein. Inclusion in the Provider Directory does not imply recommendation or endorsement nor does omission in the Provider Directory imply WebMD disapproval. |
Suggested Reading on Narcolepsy by Our Doctors
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