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Sereno™, The Center for Snoring Solutions, opened its doors to patients this month at its flagship practice in San Francisco.  Sereno is the first medical center of its kind dedicated solely to resolving snoring issues by providing patients with a comprehensive, solutions-based approach.

Snoring is serious and affects the lives of 90 million Americans, according to The National Sleep Foundation.  In addition, 24% of couples sleep apart because of snoring issues.  

Sereno was developed in response to this overwhelming need for a medical practice dedicated to alleviating snoring.  While other medical professionals administer various snoring procedures as part of their larger practices, Sereno offers a comprehensive, minimally invasive solution designed to treat each patient's particular causes of snoring. Sereno's holistic approach includes a customized lifestyle, diet and nutritional program.  

Said Sereno medical director Dr. Matthew Mingrone, "When patients learn there is an accessible and viable solution to their snoring problems, they are amazed that they have suffered for so long without getting medical treatment."  Mingrone adds, "Empowering patients to lead happier, healthier lives is our end goal."  

Staffed by highly trained medical professionals utilizing FDA-approved techniques that can usually be performed in less than an hour, Sereno offers patients the potential for a better life.  

Sereno™ is a revolutionary new practice dedicated to improving patient's lives through comprehensive treatment of snoring.  Sereno is headquartered in San Francisco and aims to expand nationally based on consumer demand.  Call 415-525-8400 or visit www.serenocenter.com to learn more.

Enjoy a peaceful night's sleep and significantly decrease the rhythmic, strident sound of your partner's incessant snoring with the Brookstone® Anti-Snore Memory Foam Pillow. The specialty retailer and product development company recently launched its anti-snore pillow with a clinically tested design helpful in reducing snoring and providing comfort without altering your natural sleep style or position.

The Brookstone® Anti-Snore Pillow uses an innovative design to help reduce snoring. At first glance, the pillow looks -- and feels like a pressure-relieving memory foam neck pillow. Inside, the support system gently yet firmly cradles your head and neck, conforming to the natural contours of your body, while helping to keep your chin out and maintain a more open airway for better sleep. No matter what position -- back or side -- you and your partner can finally gain a peaceful night's sleep.

"One of the causes of snoring is the misalignment of the head, the neck and the shoulders, which may lead to a restricted airway during lung expansion for taking a deep breath," says Board Certified physician 'Dr. Jorge' Rodriguez. "The soft, supportive memory foam conforms to the exact profile of your body, resulting in better airway pressures and access to air," Dr. Jorge concludes. An expert in internal and preventative medicine who operates out of his Newport Beach, CA private practice, 'Dr. Jorge' avidly utilizes and recommends the Brookstone® Anti-Snore Memory Foam Pillow.

Brookstone's Anti-Snore Pillow is made with natural green tea, charcoal and castor oil, and features a removable cover for cleaning and removable foam inserts for customizable neck support. "I don't think we realize the detriments of not gaining good sleep, as it is crucial for our daily performance and interactions," says Dr. Jorge.

Individuals looking for a clinically tested solution to help reduce snoring can find this anti-snore pillow exclusively at all Brookstone® stores throughout the country, and online at www.brookstone.com.

The Brookstone® Anti-Snore Memory Foam Pillow retails for $99.95.

Brookstone, Inc. is an innovative product development company and multi-channel retailer of unique gifts. Brookstone operates 315 retailers nationwide and in Puerto Rico, an e-commerce site at Brookstone.com, and publishes catalogs year-round. Typically located in high-traffic regional shopping malls and airports, Brookstone stores feature unique and innovative consumer products. For more information, visit www.brookstone.com.

For media inquiries, sample requests or interviews with Dr. Jorge Rodriguez, please contact: Tara Solomon or Kristina Lynch (tara@taraink.com/kristina@taraink.com) of TARA, Ink. at 305.864.3434, ext. 102/153.

For additional sleep-related product suggestions and reviews, please follow 'Dr. Jorge' Rodriguez on Twitter.com: @drjorgeMD.

SOURCE Brookstone

Here are highlights from the September issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter. You may cite this publication as often as you wish. Reprinting is allowed for a fee. Mayo Clinic Health Letter attribution is required. Include the following subscription information as your editorial policies permit: Visit www.HealthLetter.MayoClinic.com or call toll-free for subscription information, 800-333-9037, extension 9771.

Ways to Quiet Ordinary Snoring

ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Ordinary, loud snoring doesn't seem to be harmful, according to the September issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter. But snorers still may want to seek treatment to stop snoring, reduce embarrassment and improve sleep for themselves and their bed partner.

Snoring is caused by relaxed and sagging tissues. As sleep deepens, the tongue relaxes, as do the soft tissues of the throat and the roof of the mouth (soft palate). The tissues can sag into the airway, causing it to narrow. As air is inhaled or exhaled through the narrowed opening, the relaxed tissues of the soft palate vibrate. The result is snoring. Though most snoring is harmless, snorers should consult a doctor to rule out sleep apnea, a serious health concern where breathing stops during sleep.

For ordinary snoring, a doctor will likely discuss conservative treatment options first. Assistive devices or, as a last resort, surgery, can help reduce snoring. Mayo Clinic Health Letter covers these treatment approaches:

Lose weight: Extra bulk narrows airways, contributing to snoring.

Avoid alcohol: Alcohol consumption can cause excessive muscle relaxation. Avoiding alcohol for at least four hours before bedtime may help.

Relieve nasal obstruction: Adhesive nasal strips (Breathe Right, others) or corticosteroid nasal sprays can help reduce nasal obstruction that can contribute to snoring.

Change sleep positions: In back sleepers, the tongue can sag and narrow the airway during sleep. A doctor can suggest techniques to learn to sleep comfortably in other positions.

Stop smoking: Smoking is associated with an increased risk of snoring. People who stop have a lower rate of snoring.

Try assistive devices: The most effective treatment for snoring is a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. It delivers pressurized air through a mask, keeping the upper airway open during sleep. Some people have difficulty wearing a mask at night. An oral appliance from a specially trained dentist or orthodontist can help keep the throat open, too, and may be less obtrusive than a CPAP machine.

Consider surgery: Several surgical procedures can help reduce snoring, either by cutting away excess mouth and throat tissue or by stiffening tissues of the soft palate to prevent vibration and sagging. Surgery is considered a last resort because it can cause side effects and complications. Typically, there's only a 50 percent chance that snoring will improve over the long term.

Let's Not Repeat That Pain: Tips to Reduce Risk of Kidney Stones

ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Passing kidney stones can be an extremely painful process that no one wants to repeat. But patients who have experienced kidney stones have a 50 percent chance of recurrence within 10 years. The September issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter covers how kidney stones are formed, treatment options and ways to reduce the risk of a repeat.

Kidney stones are made up of crystal-forming minerals in the urine. Normal urine contains substances that inhibit crystal formation. However, if urine is too concentrated or if the crystal-preventing compounds aren't working properly, crystals may gradually accumulate and grow to form one or more kidney stones.

Most kidney stones pass naturally through the ureters (tubes that connect the kidney to the bladder), through the bladder and then out in the urine. Passing a kidney stone may take hours or weeks. Most often, the process takes seven to 14 days. Small stones may not be a big bother. Larger ones can cause extreme pain, typically on the side and the back, just below the rib cage and radiating to the lower abdomen and groin. There are a variety of treatment options, from pain management to surgical removal of the stone.

Once the stone has passed, the focus switches to prevention. Prevention strategies depend somewhat on the composition of kidney stones. About 70 percent are formed primarily of calcium oxalate. Others are formed mainly from calcium phosphate, uric acid or struvite stones. Recommendations for prevention of kidney stones in most people may include:

Drink enough fluid: Drinking at least 12 cups of fluid -- preferably water -- a day is the most basic way to prevent kidney stones. The fluid dilutes the urine and decreases the risk of crystal formation.

Limit meat intake: Consuming more than 6 to 8 ounces of meat daily can increase calcium and uric acid in the urine, increasing the acidity of urine and reducing the chemicals that inhibit crystal formation.

Get adequate calcium: Meeting daily calcium intake recommendations based on age reduces the risk of kidney stone development, probably because calcium binds to oxalate in the gut, reducing oxalate levels in the urine.

Avoid excess vitamin D: Often consumed with calcium to help absorption, vitamin D may raise the risk of developing calcium-based stones. Vitamin D has many health benefits, but for those at risk of kidney stones, limiting vitamin D consumption to age-specific recommended daily limits may be advised.

Consider food choices: Limiting intake of oxalate-containing foods -- such as spinach, beets, chocolate, peanuts, potatoes and many other foods -- is an important preventive strategy for those with calcium oxalate stones who also have conditions that affect the small bowel, such as Crohn's disease. For those who don't have digestive conditions or high urine oxalate levels, the benefits of diet changes are unclear. Because the diet is very difficult to follow, Mayo Clinic experts don't emphasize this strategy.

Vitamin D: Many Benefits; Optimal Dose Uncertain

ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Vitamin D appears to boost health from head to toe, according to the September issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter. But, so far, there's no consensus on what level of vitamin D is optimal for good health.

Recent reports on vitamin D suggest that it offers many benefits, especially for older adults. Findings point to improved balance, reduction in the risk of bone fractures, and better thinking skills such as planning, organizing and abstract thinking. Low levels of vitamin D are associated with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune disorders, infections such as tuberculosis, and periodontal disease. Low vitamin D levels also may affect certain cancers, including colon, breast and prostate cancers.

Vitamin D is the only vitamin that the body can manufacture itself. The only requirement is sunshine, specifically ultraviolet B rays. About 10 to 15 minutes of exposure two to three times a week during nonpeak sun hours is considered adequate. But the sunshine approach doesn't work for everyone. With age, the body is less efficient at processing vitamin D. Other barriers are darker skin and living in northern climates. Using sunscreen -- still recommended to prevent skin cancer -- also reduces absorption of ultraviolet B rays.

Food sources are usually an excellent way to obtain vitamins, but choices are limited for vitamin D. Rich sources are fatty fish, fish-liver oils, liver and egg yolks. Milk fortified with vitamin D is another option.

With limited food choices, consumers may opt to rely on vitamin D supplements. The current daily recommended dose of vitamin D for adults 50 and older is 400 to 600 international units (IU). But many researchers believe that a higher amount is warranted because of the many health benefits. The National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends a daily intake of 800 to 1,000 IU per day for adults over age 50. The upper daily limit considered safe for use is 2,000 IU per day, but there's debate about this level. Very large doses of vitamin D taken over time can cause ill effects, including nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, constipation, weakness and weight loss.

Source: Mayo Clinic

What's the best gift-giving strategy if you're a woman trying to figure out how to please her man on Father's Day? Do what little kids do - give him the gift you really want for yourself.

OK, that probably rules out the '65 Mustang and the even-bigger screen TV.

So what would be the best present for millions of women - one that would actually be a true gift to their mates as well? How about something that would put an end to his cosmically annoying snoring? That way you both win - you finally get a good night's sleep and he gets to live with a more rested, nicer you (and probably sleep better himself).

That's the idea behind a unique Father's Day gift suggestion from the makers of Brez(R), a revolutionary new and effective anti-snoring device - give your man the means to stop snoring and then reward him handsomely when he does.

If you have any doubt that many women would find that idea appealing, you need only turn to a study by the National Sleep Foundation. Of respondents who were married or living with someone, 23% reported one partner regularly camping out in a separate bedroom or on the sofa because one partner had sleep problems.

The great thing about making a Father's Day present of an anti-snoring aid is that there are a lot to choose from. The problem, though, is that the vast majority are uncomfortable to wear, ugly or make unsubstantiated claims about how well they work.

But Brez(R), (www.mybrez.com) which has come on the market this year just in time for Father's Day, has been found in a clinical trial to significantly reduce snoring and to also significantly improve (by 88%) the sleep quality reported by test subjects' bed partners.

Brez(R) (pronounced "breeze") is made of soft and comfortable, nearly invisible medical grade material that inserts easily into the nose. Brez(R) gently props open nasal passages to reduce the tissue vibrations that cause primary snoring. Brez(R) also allows greater air flow and can be worn unnoticed during the day when some users report it relieves nasal congestion. (Brez(R) cannot treat sleep apnea, a condition in which interrupted breathing causes snoring - a special breathing apparatus is sometimes medically prescribed for that.)

For an illustration of how much better women sleep when their bedmates use Brez(R), you need go no further than Mindi Osborn, CEO of AirWare, Inc., the company that makes Brez(R). Before she decided to become associated with AirWare, she wanted to be sure the product would work on a key test subject: her husband Jim.

"Every morning around 2, his snoring would wake me up. I would be livid. I'd grab my pillow, my cat, a blanket and go stomping across the house to the guest room. This went on for years," Osborn says.

"It controlled our lives. I was exhausted. I would say things to him. He didn't care. I was so tired and he would blame it on hormones."

Then Mindi met David Dolezal, the inventor of Brez(R), who provided her with a sample, which her husband tried. It worked.

"That night, seriously, I thought he was dead. I was up all night. I was touching him, I was checking for his pulse. I was deafened by the silence. He woke up and he felt amazing and I was exhausted because I was literally up the whole night."

"My doctor had given me sleeping pills, everything, to help me sleep through his snoring. So this was really significant."

"It really had a major impact on my life. Our relationship is definitely better. "

Father's Day gift shoppers can take advantage of a special $2 coupon being offered at mybrez.com. Brez(R) is available at many national and independent pharmacies and online.

Source: AirWave, Inc.