The restricted air flow lowers blood oxygen levels, contributing to heart attacks and strokes.

If that weren’t enough, OSA has also been linked to other ailments such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and chronic headaches.

Additionally, patients with untreated OSA have higher health-care rates and spend almost three times as many days in the hospital per visit.

Patients who suspect they have OSA should ask their physician for an evaluation at an accredited sleep center, she explained.

Fortunately, there is a treatment for OSA that is 100 percent effective — CPAP, said Jackson.

If OSA is discovered, the patient may receive a prescription for a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or bi-level positive airway pressure (BiPAP) machine.

Both machines gently blow air into the patient’s airway through a comfortable mask as they sleep.

Almost immediately, OSA sufferers begin sleeping well and wake up refreshed.

Whether in Sweetwater’s Southwest DeLand office or in the patient’s home, Jackson helps OSA patients find the right equipment and masks, educates and encourages them, helps them to relax, to breathe deep, and to have sweet dreams once again.