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-This is Alan.
He is in the hospital.
Two days ago,
he was not able to speak
or move the right side of his body for 15 minutes.
Even though he returned to his usual self,
he came into the emergency room at his local VA.
After some testing,
his doctors diagnosed him with a TIA,
or transient ischemic attack,
or mini stroke.
His doctors shared that many patients who have a TIA
go on to have an ischemic stroke,
where the problems that Alan had
for 15 minutes may last longer
and not get better.
The doctors talk to Alan about what can put people at risk
for having another TIA,
or even a stroke.
-Alan, risk factors for TIA and stroke include
high blood pressure, diabetes,
high cholesterol,
atrial fibrillation,
a blockage in the carotid arteries,
cigarette smoking, drinking too much alcohol,
physical inactivity,
obesity,
and obstructive sleep apnea.
-I know I have high blood pressure,
and I'm not as physically active as I should be.
I have heard of OSA.
My buddies who have OSA snore like the dickens.
I don't snore.
My sleep is just fine.
-OSA occurs when people are sleeping.
When we sleep, our body relaxes.
That also includes the muscles in the back of our throat.
When the muscles relax,
it causes the soft tissue
in the back of our throat to collapse
and block the airway.
This can cause people to stop breathing,
which, in turn, can cause oxygen levels
to fall to unsafe levels.
The brain knows when our body stops breathing
and the brain wakes our body up just enough
to unblock the airway,
but not enough to wake us fully.
This cycle happens hundreds of times every night.
Sometimes people may snore.
Sometimes people may be sleepy the next day
because of this, too.
We don't know why, but people like you,
who have had a TIA or have survived a stroke,
they may not snore.
They may not feel sleepy either.
They think their sleep is A-okay.
Anywhere between 60% and 80% of people
who have had a TIA, like you,
also have OSA,
and OSA, when it's not treated,
makes it more likely that you will have another TIA
or even a stroke.
-So, you're saying that I can feel completely fine
and still have OSA?
-Yes, that's correct.
-Is there a blood test for OSA?
How can I get checked out?
I don't want to have another TIA or stroke.
The test to make the diagnosis of sleep apnea
is called a sleep test.
We can do the sleep test here in the hospital
or after you get discharged.
For your benefit, though,
it's a test that we should do sooner rather than later.
-Well, why is that?
Many patients with a TIA
go on to have another TIA or even a stroke
in the days or weeks after having a TIA.
When we saw you in the emergency room,
you shared how concerned you were
about not being able to speak
and not being able to move your right arm.
We are lucky those functions came back for you.
We don't want there to be a next time,
where you can't speak or move one side of your body,
the sooner we do a sleep test,
the sooner we find out if you have OSA.
If you have it,
the sooner we can treat you and the better you'll be.
-Well, this all makes sense to me.
Let's get the sleep test done A.S.A.P.
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