Sleep Apnea: A Deadly Dilemma
Reported April 11, 2005
LOS ANGELES (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) — Sleep apnea is a common sleep condition that many people don’t know they have. Apnea literally means “without breath.” during sleep, people actually stop breathing for short periods. It’s a dangerous — even deadly — disorder.
For most people, sleep is a welcome pleasure. But what happens during it could be killing some of us. It’s called sleep apnea, and 12 million people go to bed with it every night.
“Having untreated sleep apnea is medically equivalent to smoking a pack of cigarettes a day in terms of what it does to your health,” Jerome Siegel, Ph.D. a neuroscientist at the UCLA Center for Sleep Research, tells Ivanhoe.
Dr. Siegel says the condition leaves patients with extreme daytime fatigue, but that’s not all. “Blood pressure will tend to go up. Blood flow will be decreased, and there’s actually damage to the brain.”
He says most of these problems can be reversed if it’s treated. This mask — the C-PAP — is the most common treatment. “It’s going to reduce blood pressure. It’s going to lengthen lifespan. It’s going to make people more alert. It can completely change people’s lives.”
It pushes air into the nose to keep airways open. It’s awkward but effective. Other options include orthodontic devices or surgery to help air flow easier during sleep.
Coleman Flaherty says sleep apnea sucked the life right out of him. “I wasn’t sleeping good. I was extremely tired, became very irritable, and people paid a price for that, including myself.” He even gave up his love of running. After he was diagnosed, he decided C-PAP was worth a shot.
“I feel more like my old self,” he says. “I feel rejuvenated. I feel 10 years younger, if you will.” Now, he’s even training for this year’s New York City Marathon.
Signs of sleep apnea include extremely loud snoring and periods where the person stops breathing during sleep. Those who have it usually are unaware of these symptoms. However, bed partners — even kids or people sleeping in other rooms of the house — are very aware. There are drugs currently under study that may help sufferers in the future.
If you would like more information, please contact:
American Sleep Apnea Association
(708) 492-0930
http://www.sleepapnea.org/