74 U.S. VETERANS MAGAZINE WWW.USVETERANSMAGAZINE.COM
AMERICAN HEROES : By Annie Nelson, Founder, American Soldier Network
T
hroughout my life, I have been blessed to befriend some amazing men and women in military communities. They often do not just serve our nation while on active duty, but continue to do so long after they hang up their uniforms. Many of them strive to support their fellow veterans with their free time, some through their employers, and still others as entrepreneurs who create new businesses that serve our nation. I was fortunate to recently interview two of those veterans who are successful entrepreneurs - Scott Brauer, a retired Navy SEAL, and Mark Holtzapple, PhD, a professor at Texas A&M. They have partnered up on a new business called NozeSealTM that addresses sleep apnea, a growing critical health concern for active- duty members, veterans, their families and friends. I sat down with Scott and Mark to ask them a few questions about their latest endeavor below:
Annie Nelson: Scott, why is sleep apnea such a hot topic?
Brauer: Annie, there are over 25 million Americans suffering from sleep apnea, and likely another 10 million undiagnosed. The situation has been getting worse, especially within the military. A recent study shows that since 2005, there is a 30-fold increase in active-duty military members diagnosed with sleep apnea. In general, sleep disorders originate from a wide range of common issues found in the veteran community, such as sleep deprivation, chronic stress, depression, anxiety, pain, tinnitus, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), toxic pollution, emotional trauma, substance abuse and even substance withdrawal.
Nelson: What are the health impacts of sleep apnea?
Brauer: Poor sleep leads to many negative health effects, such as obesity, depression, irritability, high blood pressure, diabetes, lower sex drive, suppressed immune function, heart attack, heart failure or stroke. New studies are
Helping Other Vets Get a Good Night's Sleep
emphasizing the negative effects of sleep apnea on the health of the heart and the brain. A recent study showed that patients with severe, untreated obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) had a significant increase in the number of both fatal and non- fatal cardiac events. The risk factor was nearly 3 times higher than normal! A key intervention for patients with severe OSA is treatment with positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy for greater than 4 hours per night, which significantly reduces incidences of fatal or non-fatal cardiovascular events.
Nelson: What are the challenges with PAP therapy?
Brauer: Frankly, it can be a nightmare for many. The most frequently reported reason for discontinuing PAP therapy are side effects- leaks, discomfort and pain, facial marks and rashes, hair damage, anxi- ety and claustrophobia - which are ex- perienced by approximately two-thirds of PAP users. By far, the most common com- plaint is leaks. Patients attempt to correct leaks by over-tightening the straps holding the mask in place, leading to the other side effects previously mentioned. Additionally, the PAP device compensates for leaks with higher air flow rates, which reduces nasal humidity contributing to nasal irritation, dryness and congestion. Leaking masks can cause eye irritation, infections and even swallowing air from increased PAP air pressures. All of these difficulties lead nearly half of those prescribed to use a PAP device to not comply with their doctor's therapy, often quitting entirely.
Nelson: How can we improve PAP compliance?
Brauer: Results improve significantly by fitting masks properly and modifying a patient's usual sleep position to reduce
ABOVE: The new way to sleep better and live with sleep apnea. RIGHT: The old way to sleep.
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