Mega Doctor News
Sleep is essential to our overall health and emotional well-being; it impacts everything from our brain function and mood to physical health and immune system strength.
Unfortunately, more than 100 million Americans don’t get sufficient sleep, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with about 39 million U.S. adults living with sleep apnea.
Alarmingly, about 85-90% of people with sleep apnea don’t know they have it, per the CDC.
A potentially life-threatening sleep disorder, sleep apnea causes a person to stop breathing while they sleep. This disrupts and prevents restful sleep, which can have a severe impact on their life.
Untreated, the disorder can lead to serious complications like heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes and mental health issues. It can also cause excessive sleepiness, which can lead to accidents while driving or while operating machinery.
“The health risks of untreated sleep apnea are significant,” says Frank R. Glatz, MD, a board-certified otolaryngologist affiliated with South Texas Health System. “Understanding the dangers of sleep apnea and its warning signs and symptoms, including loud snoring and interrupted breathing, is central to an accurate and timely diagnosis of the disorder. It all starts with knowing what sleep apnea is in the first place.”
To help shine a spotlight on sleep apnea among residents of the Rio Grande Valley, South Texas Health System (STHS) and STHS Clinics will devote the latest episode of their monthly “South Texas Healthy Living” television program to the life-threatening sleep disorder, which commonly affects the Hispanic population in the United States, per the CDC, including 34% of Latino men and 18% of Hispanic women.
Broadcast live on Sunday, January 26, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. on KVEO-TV NBC 23, the program will feature an interview with Dr. Glatz of the Glatz Group on the causes, risk factors and warning signs of sleep apnea, as well as how the disorder is diagnosed and treated.
Additionally, STHS System Director of Marketing & Public Relations and “South Texas Healthy Living” host Tom Castañeda sits down with a Valley resident living with sleep apnea to find out how the disorder has impacted his life and what he’s done to get better sleep.
The program will also feature a special cooking segment led by Patrick Woodin, South Texas Health System McAllen’s director of dietary & nutrition services, a demonstration of essential exercises with a member of the STHS Edinburg Outpatient Rehabilitation Center, and important advice on preventing sleep apnea.
“Making positive lifestyle changes like losing excess weight, getting regular exercise and quitting smoking can help reduce your risk of developing sleep apnea or improve your symptoms,” says Castañeda. “So, along with providing important education on the toll sleep apnea can take on the body, this latest episode of ‘South Texas Healthy Living’ will also highlight healthy habits that can help you get a good night’s rest, including foods that can aid in maintaining a healthy weight and promote good sleep, as well as some easy exercises you can do from the comfort of your home to get healthy and stay healthy!”
If you or someone you love is at risk of sleep apnea, don’t miss the latest episode of “South Texas Healthy Living” on Sunday, January 26 at 9:00 a.m. on KVEO-TV NBC 23.
To watch previous episodes of “South Texas Healthy Living” and the system’s South Texas Health Updates, one minute videos offering education on various health issues, visit South Texas Health System’s Medical Minute pageon ValleyCentral.com.
