Do you often feel tired and groggy after a full night’s sleep? Do you find yourself nodding off at odd moments throughout the day — in the middle of a meeting at work, for example? Do you snore? If you answered “yes” to all three questions, you may have sleep apnea, a common disorder in which breathing is interrupted during sleep. An estimated 18 million Americans have sleep apnea, says the National Institutes of Health.

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While snoring is often the subject of jokes, it’s no laughing matter. Snoring can be a sign that your airway is partially blocked or obstructed during sleep. Almost everyone snores once in a while, but for some, it can become a chronic health problem. Chronic snoring is more common in men than women, typically affecting men who are middle-aged or older. Researchers estimate that 30% to 50% of people snore regularly by age 50.

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About one in four of us has had it at some time or another: the red, itchy skin rash (called contact dermatitis) that results from being exposed to an allergen or irritant. From adhesives to zippers, just about anything can cause a rash if it comes in contact with the right (or wrong) person’s skin.

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In 1997, the National Institutes of Health’s National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP, a project of the National Institutes of Health) changed its Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Asthma to reflect a new approach to asthma management. Tens of thousands of asthma patients are benefiting from stepwise care today.

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Have you ever wished for a perfect surgical procedure to correct snoring and obstructive sleep apnea? Unfortunately, there’s no such thing. UPPP, the most commonly performed surgery, has only a 40% success rate, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), less than a perfect track record. Still, people who have tried other therapies like a CPAP mask without results may want to talk to their doctor about surgery.

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While no two people experience asthma exactly the same way, your symptoms may be similar to others who also have this condition. Left untreated, asthma symptoms can worsen, leading to a potentially life-threatening asthma episode. It’s up to you to learn the symptoms of asthma, and even more important, to know what they can mean for your health.

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Roughly 10% of Americans may be allergic to animals, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. But people who have sensitivities to common household allergens such as dust mites and molds may overlook the chance that they’re also allergic to their own pets. This is because animal allergies might not surface on your first trip to the pet store. In fact, these allergies may develop long after you’ve taken your new puppy or kitten (or ferret, or parakeet . . .) home with you.

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Your history teacher means well, but she sends you to the nurse’s office every time you so much as cough. Your coach can’t understand why you need to take so many breaks during track practice. It can be hard to talk about asthma, but your safety at school depends on giving teachers and coaches the information they need to know in order to deal with an emergency — and when to let you manage your asthma on your own.

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It’s perfectly normal for any mother to think about the health of her unborn child. As a mother with asthma, you may also worry about how asthma will affect your baby. It may ease your mind to know that women with asthma can expect a normal pregnancy, without an increased risk to themselves or their babies, as long as asthma is controlled.

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