By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: There is a misconception in the public mind that snoring is a sign of good sleep. But few realize that snoring is only one aspect of sleep disorders which also has a public safety aspect.
People with disturbed sleep tend to fall asleep during daytime and look lethargic. Sleep deprivation can lead to a lot of other problems, including heart attacks, stroke, accidents, memory loss, etc. It can put both a person’s health as well as safety at risk.
Forty to 50 percent of the population has some kind of sleep-related disorder which most of them were unaware of and seek medical help only after they developed any complication.
To generate awareness and for early evaluation of sleep disorders, SUM Ultimate Medicare (SUMUM) has started a Sleep Clinic and LEVEL 1 Sleep Lab to provide a holistic approach to dealing with sleep disorders.
Patients with sleep related complaints can consult sleep specialists in the SUMUM Sleep Clinic from Monday to Saturday.
Besides, the hospital is also launching a smoking cessation clinic to help people quit the habit.
Tobacco use, primarily cigarette or bidi smoking, is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in India. It is a fact that smoking increases the risk of different cancers, including lung, liver, and colorectal cancer. Smokers account for 85 per cent of lung cancers. Also, smoking increases the risk of respiratory diseases (such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) and cardiovascular disease. During pregnancy, smoking increases the rate of complications, including miscarriage, still birth, preterm birth, fetal growth restriction, and congenital anomalies. Neonatal and pediatric complications of exposure to cigarette smoking include sudden infant death syndrome and abnormal lung function in children, such as asthma.
Despite the magnitude of the disease burden related to smoking, over 100 million adults in India smoke. This makes quitting smoking one of the most important yet challenging step a person can take to improve his or her health. Most smokers make several attempts to quit before finally kicking the habit.
‘We are also starting a smoking cessation clinic under the department of pulmonary medicine in SUMUM to make it easy for people who value their health and the health of their family members. The smoking cessation clinic and the sleep clinic would offer medical and lifestyle-related solutions to habitual cigarette smokers and people with sleep disorders with help from a qualified team of pulmonologists, respiratory therapists, psychiatrists, clinical psychologists and dieticians. We intend to make this journey smoother with comprehensive care,” said Dr Swetapadma Dash, CEO of SUMUM.
