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Snoring too much? Philips, Guardian offer sleep apnea screening

SINGAPORE — Electronics and healthcare company Philips said today (Aug 22) that it is working with Guardian pharmacies to offer sleep apnea screenings in Singapore.

SINGAPORE — Electronics and healthcare company Philips said today (Aug 22) that it is working with Guardian pharmacies to offer free sleep apnea screenings in Singapore.

Snoring is one of the key signs of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), the most common sleep disorder characterised by an airway collapse behind the tongue during sleep, which obstructs breathing. Left untreated, OSA may lead to serious chronic diseases including diabetes, heart attacks and strokes.

To help OSA sufferers identify and treat this disorder, Philips will be offering free screenings at five Guardian outlets from Aug 5. The screenings will end on Nov 5, when Philips will review whether it will continue offering the free screenings.

The Philips RUSleeping kiosks are at Guardian pharmacies in Jurong Point, Paragon, Causeway Point, Nex and Ion Orchard.

Guardian patrons can visit the kiosks for educational material on OSA to help determine if they have symptoms of the disorder. Those who wish to be screened for OSA will then have to complete a sleep evaluation survey to identify if they are at risk.

Upon completing the questionnaire, a Guardian pharmacist will issue a RUSleeping Real-Time Screener (RTS) home sleep diagnostic device, with the patient paying a S$30 deposit fee which will be refunded when the RTS is returned. There will be a S$10 charge for the consultation and S$9 for a cannula.

The RTS device will track users’ sleep for nine hours and collect data that may indicate sleep apnea. The device, which assigns a unique serial number to each user, will record sleep data in real time and provide evidence of potential periods of breath interruption, which could indicate sleep apnea.

If the RTS shows evidence of potential OSA, the Guardian pharmacist will provide patient-care counselling on treatment options — if the patient decides to follow up with a specialist at a hospital, for instance.

NO LAUGHING MATTER

The signs and symptoms of OSA include high blood pressure, frequent loud snoring, pauses in breathing or gasping for breath, and regularly falling asleep in situations such as reading or watching TV.

It is estimated that 15 per cent of people in Singapore suffer from OSA, with men being almost four times as likely as women to have the disorder.

Startlingly, nearly 42 per cent of Singaporeans admitted to the hospital for heart attacks and have undiagnosed severe OSA, according to a 2011 study conducted by National University of Singapore medical researchers.

“By promoting public awareness in Guardian pharmacies, we aim to improve sleep quality and overall health for those who may be suffering from undiagnosed OSA,” said Suvendra Das, General Manager Philips Healthcare Singapore.

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