Sleep apnea is as prevalent as adult diabetes and asthma.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), approximately 18
million Americans, or roughly 20 percent of the U.S. adult population,
suffer from sleep apnea.
Approximately 1 in 5 adults has at least mild obstructive
sleep apnea (OSA) and 1 in 15 adults has OSA of moderate or worse
severity, according to a report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Each year, nearly four percent of men and two percent of women
over the age of 35 are diagnosed with sleep apnea, according to the
NIH. Yet, it is estimated that as many as 90 percent of all
cases remain undiagnosed, largely due to the fact that sufferers
are unaware that their symptoms are a sign of a serious breathing
disorder and that effective sleep apnea treatment is
available.
The consequences of obstructive sleep apnea range
from disruptive to life-threatening. Disruptive consequences include
daytime fatigue, depression, irritability, sexual dysfunction, learning
and memory difficulties, and falling asleep while at work, on the phone
or driving. Life-threatening consequences include congestive heart
failure, stroke, irregular heart rhythms, cardiovascular disease and
fatal car accidents.
It is estimated that about one third of all patients with
heart failure have obstructive sleep apnea, according to a report in
the New England Journal of Medicine. In this clinical study,
patients with heart failure that were treated with Continuous Positive
Airway Pressure (CPAP) achieved a noted reduction in systolic blood
pressure and an overall improvement in heart function.
According to a recent study published in the journal Circulation,
a common irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation doubles the
risk of obstructive sleep apnea indicating that patients with atrial
fibrillation should be screened for OSA, particularly those with
obesity or high blood pressure, known risk factors.
OSA sufferers are three times more likely to have automobile
accidents than non-sufferers. In fact, according to a study conducted
by the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, each
year, 980 lives could potentially be saved and $11.1 billion in
automobile accident costs could be avoided if drivers who suffer from
OSA received successful sleep apnea treatment.
The recognized obstructive sleep apnea symptoms include: loud
snoring, nocturnal gasping and choking during sleep, excessive daytime
sleepiness, morning headaches, memory or learning problems,
irritability, lack of concentration, mood swings or personality
changes, dry throat upon awakening, witnessed apneas and frequent
urination.
Signs that a person may be susceptible for OSA include: loud
snoring, being 20 to 30 pounds overweight, having high blood pressure,
having a crowded posterior airway, congestion caused by hay fever and
other allergies, a short, thick neck, or a family history of sleep
apnea.
During an average night’s sleep, an obstructive sleep
apnea sufferer may experience 60 apneas an hour, or 400 per night.
Data has shown that the risk of long-term mortality increases when
patients experience 20 or more apneas per hour.
Studies have shown that the partners of OSA sufferers can
lose up to one hour of sleep per night due to their bed partner’s loud
snoring and apneas.
