<h1>Nothing to snooze about – sleep apnoea</h1>

With 10 percent of Australians suffering from insomnia and one in three adults struggling to catch enough zzz’s, sleep apnoea is no joking matter.

With sleep apnoea, a person may stop breathing for more than 10 seconds and with Obstructive Sleep Apnoea, the upper airway repeatedly collapses during sleep, causing you to have a fragmented sleep with inadequate breathing.  No wonder, so many Australians are not waking up refreshed or feeling rejuvenated. 

Whether it’s putting up with your partner’s snoring (that’s 19 per cent of Australians out there) or the 35 per cent of Australians waking up frequently during the night, sleep apnoea showcases some frightening statistics, especially when 80 per cent of sleep apnoea sufferers have not even been diagnosed.

Sleep apnoea is not a normal part of life.  Untreated Obstructive Sleep Apnoea will decrease a person’s life span by 10 years and may lead to serious health disorders such as hypertension, depression, heart disease and stroke.  Who knew, sleep, or lack of it, could be so dangerous.

The good news is effective treatments are out there.

There are the lengthy and often expensive systems to diagnose sleep apnoea which usually involves an overnight sleep study in a lab or hospital, and the waiting periods required for specialists.

Now, Community Care Chemist in Geelong West is offering an affordable sleep apnoea testing service which can be done in the privacy and comfort of your own home. 

CCC Geelong West has joined forces with Australian Pharmacy Sleep Services to offer Geelong residents a more convenient way to test for sleep apnoea.  By simply taking the overnight sleep study in your own home, results can then be sent to a sleep scientist and doctor for the diagnosis.  The pharmacist at Community Care Chemist will present the results within 10 days.  

If you do suffer from sleep apnoea, the CCC pharmacist can recommend a number of options including a mouth guard or a CPAP machine trial and tailor a treatment to the patient’s exact needs.

From 1^st May, CCC West Geelong is offering 50 per cent off the price of the sleep tests (usually $120). So there is little excuse not to attack sleep apnoea head on.

So for those 80 per cent of Australians who have sleep aponea and don’t even know it or the 19 per cent who experience sleepiness that interferes with daily activities, take the first step forward in getting the help you need.  You are only one Community Care Chemist step away in having a quality night’s sleep for good.

Community Care Chemist Geelong West
2/240 Pakington Street, Geelong West
03 5246 5850
geelongwest@communitycarechemist.com.au