WASHINGTON, DC (November 24, 1997): As the biggest shopping days of the year draw near and many begin to look for toys, the American Sleep Apnea Association urges parents and grandparents who see Tyco Toys' Sing & Snore Ernie® to remember that snoring can be a symptom of sleep apnea, a very common and potentially serious medical disorder.
Snoring alone is not a medical problem, and, as Tyco Toys knows, many people find snoring in certain situations to be amusing. Not everyone who snores has sleep apnea and not everyone who has sleep apnea snores, but snoring, particularly loud, obnoxious snoring that follows a period of silence, is associated with untreated sleep apnea.
The National Center for Sleep Disorders Research within the National Institutes of Health has estimated that twelve million Americans have sleep apnea--and the vast majority of them are undiagnosed. The typical sleep apnea patient is overweight, male, and over the age of forty, but sleep apnea affects both males and females of all ages and of ideal weight. Unfortunately, few people know that the typical symptoms, including loud snoring and excessive sleepiness, may be due to a potentially serious medical disorder.
Sleep apnea is easily diagnosed and must not be ignored. Untreated, sleep apnea can have significant consequences, such as high blood pressure and heart attacks, memory problems, irritability, and depressed mood. People who think they, or others they know, have sleep apnea should talk to their doctor or a sleep specialist; different treatment options are available.
Sing & Snore Ernie®, expected to be one of the most popular toys this holiday season, may do more than make people laugh--he may help them sleep better, too.
The American Sleep Apnea Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing injury, disability, and death from sleep apnea and to enhancing the well-being of those affected by this common disorder. The ASAA promotes education and awareness, the ASAA A.W.A.K.E. Network of voluntary mutual support groups, research, and continuous improvement of care.
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