Anyone with questions about sleep disorders is welcome to attend a St. Rose Ambulatory & Surgery Center special presentation at the Great Bend Senior Center, 2005 Kansas.

          Brandi Gruber, director of cardio-pulmonary services at St. Rose, will discuss common sleep problems beginning at 1 p.m. Friday, May 16. The presentation, which is free and open to the public, will last about 45 minutes.

          Gruber, who also is director of St. Rose’s Sleep/Wake Disorders Center, will outline services available there. The St. Rose center is the only one in Barton and surrounding counties accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

          “I will cover several topics, with an overview of symptoms,” Gruber said. “Participants can then determine if it might be time to see their physician for guidance.”

          Sleep apnea, which causes interruptions in breathing, is the most common disorder; about one in 15 people have at least a mild form of it, Gruber noted. This includes all ages, but overweight men who are at least 40 years old are the most common apnea patients.

          “If left untreated, sleep apnea and other disorders can cause high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and depression,” Gruber said. “Sleepy drivers also can cause car accidents and other mishaps.”

          Sleep disorders can be related to periodic leg movement, restless leg syndrome and sleep disturbance resulting from night-shift work.

          “We encourage people to ask their physicians for a referral to our sleep center at St. Rose,” Gruber commented. “Patients can undergo a sleep study, which helps physicians determine what, if any, treatment is called for.”

          Steven Ronsick, M.D., is the St. Rose sleep center’s medical director and is board certified in sleep medicine. He is based at the Hutchinson Clinic and sees patients in Great Bend.

          St. Rose is part of Centura Health, which connects individuals and families across western Kansas and Colorado with more than 6,000 physicians, 15 hospitals, seven senior-living communities, physician practices and clinics, and home-care and hospice services.