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Sleep Apnea: a growing epidemic in the US

Written by: David Castillo on December 17th, 2009

Sleep Apnea: a growing epidemic in the US | read this item

Two decades ago, snoring was nothing more than a form of social nuisance or a consequence of poor sleeping habits at best. Thanks to today’s technology, science has unraveled a more serious consequence behind snoring.

Snoring is most often linked to Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), a sleep disorder characterized by grunts, gasps, and silent pauses during sleep. It is related to heart problems, hypertension, and other serious conditions. And it is growing in epic proportions in the United States (US).

Research indicates that more than 23 percent of men and nine percent of women have undiagnosed sleep apnea. In actual figures, that’s about 12 and 20 million Americans. The condition is just as prevalent as asthma and diabetes. Untreated patients account for more than $23 billion of healthcare costs in the country.

And what’s worse is, the consequences of this condition are far more glaring than the statistics.

There are several symptoms of the condition. As explained by Dr. Jim Shaffer in an interview with SpaceCoastMedicine.com:

“Classic features include daytime sleepiness or fatigue in an individual who exhibits disruptive snoring. Other common findings are irritability, poor concentration, morning headache and frequent night time urination. Basically, individuals with obesity, hypertension, diabetes or those who exhibit events suggesting apnea should discuss the possibility of OSA with their physician.”

Dr. Shaffer went on to explain that the best treatment to the condition is Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP).

“It [CPAP device] generates a specific amount of pressure that is customized to each patient and delivered through a mask, which the patient wears over some combination of his nose and mouth,” explained Shaffer. “Basically, the pressurized mask acts like a stent to prop the airway open during sleep. The vast majority of patients feel an immediate sense of improvement after just one night’s use.”

Shaffer also cited other treatments, including weight reduction, alcohol moderation, and smoking cessation.

Source: SpaceCoastMedicine.com

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