Northpinellas: Five Questions with Dr. Anthony Ottaviani

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Five Questions with Dr. Anthony Ottaviani

By LaRita Jacobs, Times Staff Writer
Published March 7, 2008

	Dr. Anthony Ottaviani has been practicing medicine in Largo for more than 30 years.
[Joseph Garnett, Jr. \| Times]

Dr. Anthony Ottaviani, a pulmonary/sleep specialist, has been practicing medicine in Largo for more than 30 years. He is part of Sun Coast Internal Medicine Consultants at 13644 Walsingham Road and is the director of the Sleep and Breathing Disorder Lab at Sun Coast Hospital.

1. What is sleep apnea and who gets it? Sleep apnea is when you have pauses in breathing while you sleep. This can cause profound fatigue that causes havoc in people's lives. Overweight men over 40 have the highest risk, but women and even children can have sleep apnea.

2. Why are we currently hearing so much about sleep apnea? We used to think sleep issues were all neurological. It is increasingly obvious that most sleep disorders are pulmonary, meaning related to breathing. It is estimated that 15 to 27 percent of Americans have chronic sleep problems and the majority have apnea. Only 20 percent seek help. We hear more about it now because there is greater awareness and a greater ability to diagnose sleep problems.

3. What kinds of problems can sleep apnea cause? Apnea causes excessive daytime sleepiness and can cause accidents. A National Institutes of Health study found that the Exxon Valdez, Chernobyl and Three Mile Island disasters had sleepiness or fatigue as a secondary cause of these incidents. Fatigue impacts school and job performance, and personal relationships. I hear story after story about the change in people's lives after treatment.

4. What are the symptoms of sleep apnea? People with apnea are tired no matter how long they sleep. Men often snore or snort when sleeping. Women may snore or they may make a puffing noise while they sleep. Morning headaches are common for people with apnea.

5. What happens after a diagnosis of sleep apnea? Each patient is different. No single thing works for everyone. The good news is that there are multiple treatments for sleep disorders. We have good doctors in this area and good sleep labs. The important thing is to seek help from your physician if you have chronic problems with sleep.