Types of Sleep Specialists
Posted on March 5, 2008
» Filed Under Sleep Snoring |
If you have a sleep disorder like:
?narcolepsy (falling asleep suddenly and sometimes without warning during the day),
?idiopathic hypersomnia (sleeping too much),
?restless leg syndrome (involuntary movement of the limbs) or a sleep disorder associated with Parkinson’s disease or Multiple sclerosis,
Your PCP may refer you to a neurologist experienced in diagnosing and treating sleep disorders. These disorders originate with some sort of abnormality within the brain or nervous system.
Many of the early pioneers in sleep medicine were neurologists who were interested in how the reorganization of the nervous system during sleep made it vulnerable to dysfunction. Because neurologists specialize in treating brain and nervous system disorders, they’re uniquely qualified to treat sleep disorders like narcolepsy.
A neurologist experienced in the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders is a relatively rare bird. A little more than 900 of the slightly the 12,000 neurologist in practice in the US are listed with the American Academy of Sleep Medicine as sleep specialists.
Psychologists and psychiatrists
Understanding the relationship between sleep and dreaming was within the Psychologists and psychiatrists domain long before the field of sleep medicine was born.
Experimental psychologists and psychiatrists now considered giants of the field of sleep medicine paved the way for later clinical applications with early sleep research they conducted in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s
Today you still find some sleep medicine specialists who initially trained as psychologists and psychiatrists and who have a background in behavioral medicine. This training helps them develop behavioral therapies to encourage their patients to comply with treatment plans.
In addition to being fully qualified to interpret sleep study results, they can also treat coexisting emotional problems like stress, anxiety or mood instability that may be contributing to sleep disturbance. Also, such clinicians are especially well suited to treat various forms of insomnia.
Because they are not medical doctors, psychologists can’t prescribe medications to help you sleep. However, psychologists maintain working relationships with psychiatrists or physicians they know and trust, who can evaluate your case and write the necessary prescriptions
In addition, sometimes when you visit a mental health specialist you get more than you bargained for, and find yourself being questioned about all sorts of other mental “disorders” that you think have little or nothing to do with your sleep problem.
If you feel like your psychologist or psychiatrist is getting off track, remind him that you really want to deal with your sleep problems now and will consider discussing other issues after your sleep problems have been addressed.
Don’t forget that many mental problems like stress of anxiety are tied directly to sleep disturbances.
Pulmonologists and internists
Your PCP may refer you to a pulmonologist or an internist if he suspects that you have a breathing disorder such as sleep apnea that requires more advanced management. These are doctors who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of lung disease.
You may wonder why in the heck a person who treats lungs would be interested in sleep disorders. Well, sleep apnea involves a cessation of breathing and that interests pulmonologists very much.
Internal medicine specialists, also called internists (not to be confused with interns, who are doctors in training), are concerned with diseases of the internal organs in adults. Internists don’t perform surgery, but they manage patients’ conditions through a combination of medications dietary and lifestyle modifications.
Pulmonologists and internists are particularly concerned with sleep apnea and the damaging effects it may see patients whose sleep disturbances are caused by an underlying condition including acid reflux disease, gallbladder disease or any condition that may cause pain and discomfort significant enough to disturb sleep.
Pulmologists likely see asthma patients whose breathing problems interfere with sleep much more than most people realize.
Most pulmologists are primarily concerned with breathing disorders that affect sleep, such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), central sleep apnea (CSA), and nocturnal asthma. Your PCP will refer you to a pulmonologist or internist if he or she suspects a serious, life-threatening condition like OSA.
Unless that pulmonologist or interest is a certified sleep specialist, he may not be as well versed in other types of sleep disorders that often coexist with your apnea
Alvaro Castillo has been writing health articles for five years. One of his specializations has been on parenting and pregnancy. If you would like to get the best out of parenting, then visit his website at http://www.myhomeparent.com or visit his blog at http://myhomeparent.blogspot.com to share your opinion.
Article Author :Alvaro_Castillo
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