Home sleep check and video consultation help you sleep well

        Did you sleep well? According to the database of the National Health Insurance Administration, the usage of sleeping pills in Taiwan exceeded 1.05 billion in 2021, which is equivalent to one in every five people taking sleeping pills. For people with long-term insomnia, medication treatment is certainly one of the options, but identifying the cause of insomnia is the key to solving the problem. In this issue of 'Health Column', we will introduce two new tools - home sleep monitoring and remote video conferencing, which can accurately grasp an individual's sleep health status.

                There are hundreds of reasons for insomnia, among which "sleep apnea" is widely known for its impact on sleep quality and is closely related to cardiovascular disease. As early as 2005, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine indicated that patients with sleep apnea have a relative risk of sudden cardiac death at night, which is about 2.6 times higher than that of the general population; In a study published in the official journal of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine in 2022, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital Sleep Center also found that patients who experience acute atrial fibrillation at night have a 5.5-fold higher risk of sleep apnea compared to those who experience acute atrial fibrillation during the day.

        Sleep apnea - a potential factor causing cardiovascular disease and stroke

        Cardiovascular disease and stroke have always been among the top ten causes of death in Taiwan. In addition to smoking and high blood pressure, "sleep apnea" is also a often overlooked risk factor for these diseases. Its symptoms may not be obvious, and even typical symptoms such as snoring and mental distress may not appear in all patients. Therefore, for the population at risk of cardiovascular disease, regular sleep checkups, attention to sleep quality and regular sleep patterns are crucial. The public should enhance their understanding of sleep apnea and pay more attention to the level of cardiovascular health to reduce its threat.

        Home Sleep Check - Accurately Obtaining Sleep Physiology Information

        Sleep examination can not only measure the sleep apnea cessation index, but also provide more accurate sleep hypoxia debt values to predict the risk of cardiovascular disease, which helps to understand one's own sleep health status. Compared to traditional methods that require one night of hospitalization for sleep monitoring, "home sleep monitoring" provides accurate sleep physiology information in a more comfortable and convenient way. The process only requires 3-5 specially designed routes to complete the diagnosis. Its main advantage is to increase the comfort of the examination, avoid difficulty falling asleep due to discomfort or tension, and reduce the inconvenience of commuting to and from the hospital and waiting time for the examination.

        Sleep Troubles: Remote Video Communication - Convenient Consultation for Sleep Problems

        Modern people are busy with work and often feel overwhelmed when it comes to seeking medical treatment at hospitals. In fact, as early as three years ago, the American sleep medical community was committed to improving and popularizing the remote video sleep clinics because of the COVID-19 epidemic, which affected patients' medical treatment.

        Given the urgent needs of the public, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital Sleep Center, through the Far EasTone Telecommunications Health+platform, combines home sleep check ups, video sleep report explanations, and consultations to provide people who cannot come to the hospital with sleep checks that can be completed at home. With the help of doctors, patients can clarify whether they have sleep problems and further develop treatment plans to prevent heart or other diseases, thereby improving their quality of life.

        In one's lifetime, almost one-third of the time is spent sleeping, but many people suffer from insomnia, which even affects the quality of life for themselves and their loved ones, and increases the risk of chronic diseases. Through convenient 'home sleep check ups', one can accurately identify the causes of sleep disorders, receive proper treatment, get a good night's sleep, and successfully stay away from diseases.

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