President Ronnie called the meeting to order at 12:40 p.m. Harry Daugherty introduced visiting Rotarians and guests to the membership. Price Gwynn provided a memorable Health and Happiness report.
     President Ronnie led the membership in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. He announced that the South Charlotte Rotary will now meet at Raintree Country Club. Their meetings are held at 7:30 AM on Fridays. The cost of the meal is $9.00.
     Worth Williamson is looking for additional delegates to the Rotary District Conference April 23-25. Worth announced that President Ronnie’s enthusiasm in attracting additional members from Charlotte Rotary extended to the generous offer of underwriting the costs of each delegate. Please contact President Ronnie to confirm prior to your registration. Don Sanders led the membership in a patriotic rendering of "God Bless America". David Tate gave the invocation recognizing international conflict and asking for compassion between the opposing sides.
     Inspired by the moment, President Ronnie brought a bit of culture to the membership with yet another poem. The response of the membership was in keeping with prior literary offerings of our President.
     Our President introduced the head table, which included David Tate, Chuck Hoch, Tim Saudners, Louis Zbinden, Barry Miller. Bryon Bullard introduced our guest speaker, Dr. Stephen C. Hardy, M.D., Ph.D., President and Medical Director of United Sleep Medicine Center.
     Dr. Hardy graduated from the University of Virginia Medial School in 1985. He then attended the Medical College of Virginia where he completed a Neurology residency and Ph.D. in Neurophysiology in 1990 He completed a two-year Clinical Neurophysiology fellowship at UCLA in 1992.
     Following his fellowship at UCLA, Dr. Hardy moved to Charlotte and began his practice in sleep medicine. He is board certified by the American Board of Sleep Medicine and the American Board of Clinical Neurophysiology.
     Dr. Hardy established and refined the operation of a Sleep Disorder Center in Charlotte that steadily increased the number of polysomnograms performed from 200 in 1992 to over 2,000 in 1998. Dr. Hardy is married to the former Tracy Wheeler, daughter of Humpy Wheeler, and has one child, Austin age eighteen months.
     According to Dr. Hardy, it is estimated that up to one-third of all American adults suffer from some form of sleep disorder or disturbance. While many of these disturbances are minor, some, such as sleep apnea and chronic insomnia can have serious repercussions.
     These can range from excessive daytime sleepiness and fatigue to hypertension, heart disease, and in some cases, even death. Fortunately, most sleep disorders are readily treatable when diagnosed. 8% of males and 4% of females suffer from sleep disorders.
     Snoring and Sleep Apnea : A showing of hands revealed that the majority of the (male) members of Charlotte Rotary snore. Fortunately, none of this behavior was evident during the course of Dr. Hardy’s presentation.
     Excessive snoring can be more than a nuisance. It is often a sign of a serious medical disorder called sleep apnea, which effects more than 10 million Americans. People with sleep apnea stop breathing periodically while they are sleeping. These episodes occur repeatedly and can last up to 90 seconds each time. In most cases this is caused by closure or obstruction of the upper airway (obstructive sleep apnea). It can also be caused by the brain’s failure to send proper signals to the respiratory muscles (central sleep apnea.) Central sleep apnea can be the results of neurological or medial problems. The effects of apnea can be both short- and long-term, including fatigue, personality changes, morning headaches, hypertension, irregular hearth rhythm, impotence, and even death. This fact was alarming and created rapt attention to Dr. Hardy’s comments.
     Because it occurs during sleep, apnea can easily go undetected by the patient and it is often the "bed-partner" who first notices the warning signs which include: loud irregular snoring, snorting or gasping for breath, pauses in breathing, restless sleep or sudden body movements, and excessive sweating.
     Sleep apnea is treatable once it is properly diagnosed. The type of treatment depends on the severity of the apnea and the symptoms. Treatments include weight-loss; mouthpiece devices, surgery or a machine that facilitates better breathing during sleeping.
     A brief question and answer period was held following Dr. Harry’s remarks on sleep apnea.
     Question: Do the nasal breathing strips help?
     Answer: Rarely the total answer.
     Question: Is snoring always a manifestation of apnea?
     Answer: No. Snoring is a warning sign. If one snores heavily and is tired during the day, the individual may have apnea.
     Question: How do insurance companies view sleep disorders?
     Answer: Insurance companies look at the treatment of sleep disorders as being preventative.
     Question: Does sleeping in a seated position help?
     Answer: It may be helpful for severe apnea, but it does not eliminate the problem.
     Question: Why do we seem to wake up at 3:00 AM?
     Answer: This is a good introduction to the next topic: Insomnia.
     More than 70 million Americans have experienced insomnia in the past year. Insomnia is the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep. It can be transient, lasting a few days or weeks, or it can be chronic, lasting for months to years. While any degree of insomnia can lead to problems, by far the most serious form is chronic insomnia. Chronic insomnia is more often due to medical, neurological, or psychiatric problems and may require a thorough evaluation. Polysomnograms are usually not required in the evaluation of insomnia; however, they may be helpful in some situations.
     Stress can often be a contributing factor to insomnia. Patients are taught relaxation techniques to reduce mental stress and restore normal sleep. Other contributing factors are poor sleep habits, extended use of medications or drugs, and excessive intake of alcohol.
     Dr. Hardy also discussed " Restless Leg Syndrome. This is a cramping or aching of the legs. Treatment for this condition is similar to those who have Parkinson’s Disease.
     Several suggestions were given to insure good sleeping habits: 1) Go to bed and rise at the same hour. Do not change your sleeping hours. 2) Do not toss and turn in bed. If unable to sleep, leave the bedroom and return when sleepy.
     President Ronnie adjourned the meeting at 1:30 PM.

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