Narcolepsy Center - Penn Hills, PA
Penn Hills 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 Penn Hills * Lung Associates  Medical Thoracic Associates  Lung Associates  Maria J Sunseri MD  Pulmonary Partners Ltd  Guillermo Borrero MD  Westmoreland Sleep Medicine  Tapyrik & Erukhimov MDs Penn Hills, PennsylvaniaUpcoming Local Events2012-06-02
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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 Penn Hills
Nearby Penn Hills Hospitals *HEALTHSOUTH Harmarville Rehabilitation Hospital UPMC St Margaret VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System LifeCare Hospitals of Pittsburgh Main Campus Transitional Infant Care Hospital The Children's Institute UPMC Shadyside Western Pennsylvania Hospital  UPMC Braddock  The Western Pennsylvania Hospital Forbes Regional Campus  HEALTHSOUTH Hospital of Pittsburgh  Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh  UPMC Presbyterian  Magee-Womens Hospital  UPMC Mercy  UPMC Southside  Allegheny General Hospital  Kindred Hospital Pittsburgh North Shore  Alle-Kiski Medical Center  Select Specialty Hospital McKeesport  UPMC McKeesport  UPMC Passavant  Allegheny General Hospital Suburban Campus  LifeCare Hospitals of Pittsburgh North Campus  Jefferson Regional Medical Center  Ohio Valley General Hospital  St Clair Hospital  Westmoreland Excela Health Hospital at Jeannette  Heritage Valley Sewickley Hospital  UPMC Passavant Cranberry  Mayview State Hospital  Southwood Psychiatric Hospital  HEALTHSOUTH Rehabilitation Hospital of Sewickley  Westmoreland Regional Hospital  Kindred Hospital Pittsburgh  Monongahela Valley Hospital  Butler Memorial Hospital  Canonsburg General Hospital  ACMH Hospital  Butler VA Medical Center  Latrobe Area Hospital  Select Specialty Hospital Greensburg  Frick Hospital  Kindred Hospital at Heritage Valley  Medical Center of Beaver  Torrance State Hospital  The Washington Hospital  Ellwood City 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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