It started for me with groggy mornings and pounding headaches that felt like someone knocking inside my skull. I brushed them off as stress until I caught myself nodding off mid-sentence during a meeting. That’s when my doctor mentioned something unexpected — “Have you considered sleep apnea?” I was floored. I thought migraines and sleep…
I’ll be honest—when I first started dealing with nagging back pain that wouldn’t let me sleep, I chalked it up to stress and long work hours. But what completely caught me off guard was when my sleep specialist asked, “Have you ever been tested for sleep apnea?” Wait, what? I thought sleep apnea was all…
Back when I was in college, I had no idea what was causing my morning headaches and constant fatigue. I blamed it on late-night study sessions and caffeine overload. But after talking with a specialist, turns out I wasn’t just sleep-deprived—I had sleep apnea. What really blew my mind was the link between my sleep…
Ever wake up in the middle of the night feeling like you can’t breathe, with a strange tightness in your chest and a wheezing sound that just won’t quit? If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. One thing I’ve noticed over my years as a Medical Assistant in a Gastroenterology clinic is how often patients…
If you’ve ever jolted awake in the middle of the night gasping for air, you’re not alone—and as a pulmonary nurse practitioner, I’ve had countless patients ask me, “Can asthma cause gasping while sleeping?” The short answer? Absolutely. And it’s more common than most people realize. While we often associate asthma with daytime wheezing or…
If you’ve ever found yourself wondering whether there’s a link between high blood pressure and snoring, you’re not alone. I can’t count how many times a patient has come into my clinic—usually dragged in by a sleep-deprived partner—complaining about their snoring, only to discover their blood pressure is creeping up too. As an internal medicine…
Let’s talk about something that comes up a lot in the clinic but doesn’t always get the attention it deserves: GERD and mouth breathing at night. As someone who works hands-on with patients dealing with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), I’ve seen firsthand how this condition can sneak into unexpected corners of your health — especially…
Let’s talk about something I see all the time in my practice but often gets overlooked in everyday conversations—the blood pressure and sleeping disorders link. Believe me, it’s more than just a coincidence when someone tells me they’ve been sleeping poorly and suddenly their BP numbers start creeping up. I’ve had countless patients, from busy…
Living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is challenging in many ways, but one aspect that doesn’t always get enough attention is how it can affect your sleep. As someone who has worked extensively with individuals diagnosed with RA, I’ve seen firsthand how this condition can disrupt not only your physical well-being but your ability to get…