tell us more about sleep apnea. >> yes. sleep apnea, an interesting position, common. where i see it, women come in, waking up at nice, not sleeping well. i ask, does your husband snore? a common symptom of sleep apnea. usually the spouse let's us know. other symptoms, loud snoring, almost people had like a choking or gurgling sound. often they'll wake themselves up because their brain literally senses they're not getting enough oxygen and have to wake up and wake up feeling tired, possibly have a headache. what actually is happening in obstructive leap apnea, the partition in the back 6 our throat relaxes, falls backwards blockingairwaves. your brain senses that and literally wakes you up. you never get a deep sleep but makes you take a breath. >> what about a risk of stroke? very disturbing. >> it is. we've known didn't a while. the research gave us reasons why. sleep apnea can increase risk for heart disease, stroke, obesity and even diabetes. they discovered, showed actual sleep apnea, not enough oxygen makes blood vessels in the brain it wasn't nice, not work prop

what can you do about sleep apnea? today's "women's doctor." >> i found i was waking up nine to 11 times at night and i could not get back to sleep. >> she knows all too well what it is like to not get enough sleep. she said a lack of sleep was taking its toll on her day-to-day life. >> by the end of the day, you feel like a dish rag and there is not much left of you. >> the medical director of a sleep stuth study at mercy. >> come into the center and spend the night. we do a lot of monitoring, including oxygen levels, e.k.g., breathing, and brain waves to look at sleep. >> that sleep study will tell doctors how much you are sleeping and even if you stop breathing. mary ann was put on a machine to help her breathe at night. she also lost 130 pounds. now she doesn't need the machine anymore. dr. lu says if you think you are not sleeping well, see a doctor. >> for day-to-day functioning, poor sleep, sleepyness can cause impaired concentration, difficulty at work, difficulty driving. one of the thnk main things we know ab

most who suffer from sleep apnea use the cpap but there's a patch that fits over the noa.z two plugs go into each nostril creating enough air pressure to keep the airways open. the c pap pushes air into the nasal pages. while this works well, more than half who try it stop using it. >> the most important reason people don't use cpap is part lit cosmetic part, the discomfort of the mask. >> this has drawbacks, too. it's expensive, not only covered by insurance and works half the time. >>> there's a very important event this weekend. for the first time the susan g. komen race for the cure will be held in ocean city. there's still time to register for the inaugural run/walk. >>> all new tonight republican presidential candidate mitt romney and his wife sit down for an exclusive interview with diane sawyer. he talks candidly about his money. karen travers has this preview. >> reporter: mitt romney's argument can be nailed down to one argument. >> this president has failed to turn the economy around. >> reporter: the resumption nominee brought issue back to the economy. >> i'm by far the

a major disorder is sleep apnea . it prevents adequate oxygen supply to the brain. that can cause some serious problems. >> sleepiness can cause impaired concentration, difficulty at work, difficulty driving. untraded sleep apnea can increase your risk for having a car accident. >> since will spend the night in a sleep clinic -- patients spend the night in a sleep clinic to see if they have sleep apnea. the mask is a good look. it does work wonders for a lot of folks. >> 46 degrees on tv hill. >> we will look at the morning commute. switching to progressive could mean hundreds more in your wallet year after year. feed me! saving you money -- now, that's progressive. call or click today. is a lot like picking a team. you could go with the fastest, most reliable, and at the very least, talented at what they do. or... you could go in the other direction, and see what happens. pick the right team. with over 6 times the 4g lte coverage, verizon is the obvious choice. >> welcome back to 11 news today. 6:44. it was the county man is sentenced to 15 years after admitting to

i just noted that from the time of the transcript we had, there is the apnea test. originally the harvard committee said there should be confirmatory test because these tests only test the brainstem, the stalk at the base of the brain. it does not test the cortex which most of us think of as our brain. is where we think and where we feel and where we feel pain and where we feel pleasure and where we see things and hear things. so they should take an eeg of the patient to see if there any are any brainwaves. that is the terminator. these tests decrease, not increasing as more technology has been developed that has not been used. for example, had scans were used in england. pbs versus a vegetative state person to see if they're really unconscious. this brainstem unlike the rain that person is working. >> host: like terri schiavo? >> guest:? >> guest: yes, probably not the -- but she probably was not there from what the autopsy was telling us. the brainstem is functioning to breathe on your own but the rest of the brain is gone and you have no consciousness. it's estim

one major disorder keeping them awake is sleep apnea. how serious is it, and what can you do about it? >> i wake of maybe nine, 10, 11 times at night, and i could not get back to sleep. >> mary ann driscoll those all too well what it is like not to get enough sleep. she says a lack of sleep was taking its toll on her day to day life. >> by the end of the day, you feel like a dish rag, and there's not much left of you for family. >> mary ann went for a sleep study. >> you will come into a center and in the night. and we do a lot of monitoring, including oxygen levels, it is a cagey, breathing, and brain waves to look at sleep. >> it will tell doctors how much you are sleeping and even if you stop breathing. maryann's study revealed she had moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea. she was put on a machine to help work 3 that night. she also lost 130 pounds. now she does not need the machine anymore. the doctor says it is best to see a doctor and get evaluated. >> for day-to-day functioning, quarks sleep can cause coppin difficulty it wo

and then there's the apnea test. now, originally the harvard committee said there should be confirmatory tests because these tests only test the brain stem. the stalk at the base of the brain. it doesn't test the cortex which is what most of us think of as our brain, it's where we think, it's where we feel, where we feel pain, where we feel pleasure, it's where we see things, hear things. so they should put a, take an eeg of the patient to see if there are any brain waves. and that's been eliminated. these confirmatory tests have actually decreased through the years, not increased. and as more technology has been developed, it has not been used. for example, pet scans were used in england on pvs, persistent vegetative state, patients to see if they were really unconscious. the vegetative patient, his brain stem unlike a brain dead patient, is working -- >> host: terry schiavo. >> guest: probably not the best. she probably was not there from what the autopsies are telling us. i haven't followed it that closely, but th

now there's actually a new option for the millions who struggle with a disorder called sleep apnea. abc's josh elliott tells us all about it. >> reporter: carol lennon isn't strapping herself in for a trip to space. she's just trying to go to sleep. this giant device called the cpap machine is the only thing that can help carol get uninterrupted sleep. she has sleep apnea which causes her to stop breathing at night leaving her feeling exhausted and let's not forget the snoring. >> according to my boyfriend, it was getting worse and worse. >> reporter: but now she has a new option to treat her problem. this little device called provent. >> this is the one device that seems to rival cpap. >> reporter: a patch fits over the nose and two small plugs go into each nostril creating just enough air pressure to keep the air waves open at night. >> it's easy to breathe in through the nose but hard to breathe out. >> reporter: the machine pushes air into the nasal passages enabling easier breathing. while it works very well, it's about as romantic as a cold sore, and more than half the patient

harvard paper in 1968 says that they have no reflexes and no movement, and it was determined by an apnea test, where the ventilator is turned off. if he can't, he is dead. then you repeat all of these tests. anywhere from two hours to 12 hours later. the clinical side of the tests, looking for reflexes and movement, it involves squirting ice water in years, touching the cornea with a q-tip, bringing a flash light and seeing if the eyes follow it. if you are alive, it takes a while for your eyes to adjust to the movement. but if they aren't all sides, they go sideways. i just noted that from the time of the transcript that we had, it was part of my last eye exam. originally, the harvard committee said that they should be confirmatory test. these tests only test the brainstem. the stock at the base of the brain. it doesn't test the cortex, which is what most of us think of as our brain. it is where we think and feel and where we feel pain and pleasure. where we see things. your things. so you should take an eeg of a patient to see if there are any brain waves. these confirmatory tests, the

. >> the reason for the middle of the night awakening, can range from sleep apnea to anxiety, but this product can help people get shut eye. this is the drug for people who wait up in the middle of the night. want to get back to sleep, but not knocked out for hours. it is like hitting the snooze button. >> what kind of person might this help? >> this is meant for the patient who say, gets up at 3:00 in the morning and just cannot go back to sleep. they can take this, which would help them go back to sleep. >> reporter: it contains the same active ingredients at ambien, but a lower dose. it is absorbed under the tupping. it enters the body faster and works sooner. doctors say that medication should be a last report. >> we perform to handle it with behavior changes. >> reporter: it might not be the answer, but millions of women are desperate for something. >> i want to go to sleep. >> there are possible side effects, behavior problems, slam walking and driving impairment for three to four hours after taking the pill. so, only take the pill if you have time to sleep it off 4 hours. >> it

the time of the transcript we had it was much shorter than my last of the exam and then there's the apnea test. originally the harvard committee said there should be comforter tests because these tests on the test brainstem from the stock at the base of the brain. it doesn't testify cortex which is what most of us think of your brain where we think and feel and feel pain and pleasure, where we see things and hear things so they should take any eg of the patient to see if there are brain waves and that's been he eliminated petraeus decrease through the years and has more technology has been developed it hasn't been used. for example, head scams were used in england on a persistent vegetative state patient to see if they are unconscious. the vegetative patient, his brain stem and like a brain-dead person is working -- >> host: teri schiavo. >> guest: yes, she probably wasn't there from the autopsy is telling us that the brains dennis functioning to breathe on your own but the rest of the brain is gone and you have no consciousness. it's estimated there were something like 100 fils and peopl

well a lot of people have sleep apnea, and they can't get a good night's sleep and have to wear a big contraption on their face, but now there is a face mask with a lot of people excited. it is still not so attractive but, doctor, if it works and people can get a good night's sleep, we will be a happier america. >> absolutely true, because 12 million americans are affected by this. and, what really it means, it means without breath. so, what happens to these patients, as a result of soft tissue around their neck, they wake in the middle of the night and don't realize it and they start to go to sleep and wake up and it continues and as a result they are extremely tired and are fatigued and, there is the risk of accidents. and we know that it is linked to diabetes, heart disease and stroke, and... >> jamie: i didn't know that. >> absolutely, a major health hazard and recognizing it as you said is extremely important and obviously, weight loss, changing the way you sleep, instead of lying down on your back, to the side is important, but what you show is, the cpap machine, almost looks li

. >> reporter: the reasoning for the middle of the night wakenings can range from sleep apnea to anxiety. but this pill can finally help people get shut eye. intermezzo is marketed as the only fda approved drug for people who wake up in the middle of the night who want to get back to sleep but don't want to sleep for hours. it's like a snooze button for four hours. what kind of patient will it help? >> it's a person who gets up at 3:00 in the morning and just cannot go back to sleep. they can take it, and it will help them go back to sleep. it has a rapid on set. >> reporter: intermezzo contains the same active ingredients as the popular drug ambien. but it is a lower dose. it's also absorbed under the tongue, enters the body faster, and works sooner. doctors say medication should always be a last resort. >> we prefer to handle insomnia in the middle of the night with behavioral changes. >> reporter: it may not be the magic answer but millions of americans are desperate. >> i want to the go to sleep and i want to sleep solidly. >> reporter: there are possible side effects. they may inclu

. >> reporter: the reasonings for these middle of the night awakenings can range from sleep apnea to anxiety. but this tiny tablet may finally help insomniacs get some much-needed shut eye. intermezzo is being marketed as the onda

. >>> coming up, how snoring and sleep apnea can be controlled. first "your $$$$$" start now. xxx >>> president obama wants to make sure he keeps his job. to do that it's your job he needs to worry about. i'm ali velshi, welcome t

. >> yes, people who have sleep apnea and experience mini- strokes in their brain. if you're tired during the day, you probably have sleep apnea. that kills your brain cells. you want to get checked. i check people's memory and i go over those things we just talked about one by one and i can assess what is the cause of each person's memory problems. your calls from memory lapses may be different from our neighbors to each person needs a brand assessment which is what i do. >> thank you for coming in. i will try to remember everything you talked about. [laughter] still adds, the geek squad twice as to tell us how technology can help you save money at the pump as gas prices are at $4 per gallon. let's look at some events going on around town. at bank of america, we're lending and investing in the people and communities who call baltimore home. from funding to help a local business expand their operations... to financing for an organization which provides affordable housing for artists... and partnering with a local hospital to help expand patient care. because the mor

when we first met glen, he was sleeping with a c-pap machine every night to help deal with sleep apnea. i'm happy to report he's lost about 30 pounds since joining the challenge. for the first time in years, he's sleeping soundly enough without the machine. also, rick morris, a firefighter from north carolina, who smoked nearly a pack a day, well, he smoked his last cigarette during our kickoff weekend. he said he would, and he did. and since quitting, his blood pressure dropped from 150 over 95 to 114 over 60. no meds, just diet and exercise. i'm really proud of their progress. i can't wait to see more of their transformations as well, and hopefully you can follow along. also join us on facebook where we're doing something new. beginner workouts every monday morning. back to you. >> all right. thanks so much. lots of inspiration there. >>> so how valuable is your college education? one foundation is putting up $100,000 to say there is a better way for the country's best and brightest. that's coming up next. does aspirin even work on my headache? aspirin is just old school. people will

when we first mess glen he was sleeping with a cpac machine every night to deal with the sleep apnea. he's lost about 30 points since joining the challenge. for the first time in years is sleeping soundly enough without the machine. also, rick morris, a firefighter from north carolina who smoked nearly a pack a day. he smoked his last cigarette duri during kickoff weekend. blood pressure hear dropped to 114 over 60. no medicine, just diet and exercise. i'm proud of their progress and can't wait to see more progress. check out physical nation and join us on facebook. posting beginner workouts every monday morning. back to you. >>> okay. i know he probably filed his tax return recently. millions filed this past week. the upcoming days, hundreds of thousands could find out our identity was stolen. and fake tax returns filed. today in our weekly financial ticks segment advice from four victims of tax fraud. karen lee, author of "it's just money. so why does it cause so many problems" here with us live. i know tax, identity theft, a big problem. i wouldn't think tax fraud would be associat

. >>> coming up, how snoring and sleep apnea can be controlled. first "your $$$$$" start now. xxx >>> president obama wants to make sure he keeps his job. to do that it's your job he needs to worry about. i'm ali velshi, welcome to "your $$$$$." i want to take you beyond the politics and show you the facts. these are the jobs lost and gained during obama's term. an economy in free fall. beginning with the president's first full month unoffice, february 2009, the economy lost 4.3 million jobs in the first 13 months of his presidency. employment sputtered for much of 2010. but beginning in october of that year america began to gain jobs, a painfully slow but steady job recovery has taken hold for the last 18 months. here is the key if you want to bring it back to politics. if the economy adds just over 100,000 jobs per month between now and the election, america will have gained back every single job lost during the obama presidency. mort zuckerman head of "u.s. news and world report." he's also an extremely wealthy and successful democratic businessman and he wrote this week pr

. >> reporter: the reasonings for these middle of the night awakenings can range from sleep apnea to anxiety. but this tinily tablet may finally help insomniacs get some much-needed shut eye. intermezzo is the only fda approved drug for people who wake up in the middle of the night, want to get back to sleep but don't want to be knocked out for hours. it's like hitting the snooze button. a pill that helps you sleep for four more hours. >> what kind of person might this help? >> this is meant for the patient who, say, gets up at 3:00 in the morning and just cannot go back to sleep. they can take this, which would help them go back to sleep. as a fairly rapid onset. >> reporter: it contains the same active ingredients as the popular drug ambien but it's a lower dose. it's also absorbed under the tongue and enters the body faster and works sooner. doctors say medication should always be a last resort. >> we prefer to handle insomnia in the middle of the night with behavioral changes. territory may not be the magic answer, but millions of sleepless women are desperate for something. >> i

this also picks up medical problems like people with sleep apnea. >> this allows the doctor to measure how much air space is available to the patient. >> reporter: it can help sort out confusing pain. in the upper mouth, the roots of your teeth are back-to-back with your sinuses. >> so with this new technology we're able to differentiate whether it's a sinus problem or actual tooth problem. >> and that could save you an unnecessary root canal. >> anything that saves me a root canal, two thumbs up to that. >> we just need to get a dentist in the area, right? wait. you are actually a practicing dentist, correct? >> that was just us role playing before the show. >> we'll be right back. like you used to? when you fear losing your independence? who do you call? call hoveround now, to see if you qualify for america's premier power chair. hi, i'm tom kruse, inventor and founder of hoveround. now you can do more, see more, enjoy life more. here's why hoveround makes it easier than any other power chair. hoveround is more maneuverable to get you through the tightest doors and hallways. more rel

this also picks up medical problems like people with sleep apnea. >> this allows the doctor to measure how much air space is available to the patient. >> reporter: it can help sort out confusing pain. in the upper mouth, the roots of your teeth are back-to-back with your sinuses. >> so with this new technology we're able to differentiate whether it's a sinus problem or actual tooth problem. >> and that could save you an unnecessary root canal. >> anything that saves me a root canal, two thumbs up to that. >> we just need to get a dentist in the area, right? wait. you are actually a practicing dentist, correct? >> that was just us role playing before the show. >> we'll be right back. sing your independence? who do you call? call hoveround now, to see if you qualify for america's premier power chair. hi, i'm tom kruse, inventor and founder of hoveround. now you can do more, see more, enjoy life more. here's why hoveround makes it easier than any other power chair. hoveround is more maneuverable to get you through the tightest doors and hallways. more reliable. hoveround employees build y

to a break through that could change the lives of some 30 million americans that struggle with sleep apnea. it can cause loud snoring and it blocks your breathing paujs at night. thanks to a new device, it may be over. carol is not strapping in for a trip to space. she's trying to go the sleep. this giant device, a c-pap machine is the only thing that allows her to sleep. let's not forget the snoring. >> according to my boyfriend, it was getting worse and worse. >> reporter: now a new option the treat the problem. this little device, the provent. >> it seems to rival c-pap. >> reporter: two small splugs into the nostrils keep the airways open at night. it's easy to breathe in through the nose, hard the breathe out. easier breathing. and while it works very well. it's about as romantic as a cold sore. more than half the patients who try it stop using it. carol refused all together. >> i knew i would not wear it. it would be obstructive. it's very unattractive. >> the most important reasons i think people don't use c-pap is partly the cosmetic part. it's the discomfort of the mask. >> report

medications have been overprescribed, and there are other reasons for sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, prostate issues in men, hormonal and men pausal issues with mihm. you need to rule out these things first before you give somebody a pill and say this is your solution. jenna: important points there. we should mention the side effects as well. they say behavioral disturbances, sleep walking, worsening of depression or suicidal thoughts. the article i'm reading says generally sleep aids can be problematic for something like that. let me ask you about just the application of this because some people might be listening and say, hey, this sounds like a good idea. i wake up every day at 2:00 in the morning and i'm tired for the entire day. what about the people who commute, getting in a car and deeing to work, how concerned should they be about their motor skills? >> they should be very concerned, especially what was commented in the article. they found that people were impaired slightly using the medication in their driving ability once they woke up. so they recommended that people wait,

. >> i claim sleep apnea. >> however i feeler for him, because i once went to the premier of transformers which is the loudest movie known to man. fell asleep. >> he doesn't have morning radio as an excuse. >> chris christie. >> i have never fallen asleep during a bruce springsteen concert. >> maybe it's have a meal. >> why would you think he just had a meal. >> well, snack perhaps -- >> any minute of the day i'm sure he is having a snack. >> stop it! >> he also explained the confusion about he fell asleep during his conversation about the liberals. >> yeah. >> yeah, he said someone said governor wake up. and he was saying it to me politically. on other news new jersey is still $92 million in debt. [ nbc "nightly news" theme ] >> you may want to stop snacking and sleeping. it is a death trap. you have to get out when you are young if you live in new jersey. [ nbc "nightly news" theme ] >> before the secret service rips the fat from your back! >> no! >> how long would it take a pack of piranhas to get to those bones? a while. [ nbc "nightly news" theme ] >> the secret service scandal just

2009 at 420 pounds i could no longer breathe on my own while i slept and was outfitted with a sleep apnea machine. i suffered from high blood pressure, acid reflux and limited mobility. chairs, couches and toilet seats broke regularly under my weight. i scheduled myself for gastric bypass surgery but canceled just two days before. i realized i would gain the weight backfy didn't resolve my emotional issues. a friend introduced me to the take shape for life program and i made a commitment to follow the program for 30 days. at the beginning i needed a big goal so i decided sky diving would be my reward for losing enough weight to qualify. now, i have a completely fulfilling career as a health coach giving people the tools to be successful and i am fully engaged and an active participants in my own life. >> doesn't he sound like the sweetest guy? before we ask david to come out, we're here did "today's" nutritionist, joy bauer author of "today's" new book and best-selling author, "the joit fit club." >> this guy lost 201 pounds. just to show you visually this phenomenal feat, hello. 200 poun