Sleep Apnea In Drivers Can Have Fatal Consequences While Driving And In Their Overall Health

Sleep Apnea In Drivers Can Have Fatal Consequences While Driving And In Their Overall Health    

They Have 5 Times The Risk Of A Car Accident Compared To Other Drivers    

Sleep apnea is often overlooked because it occurs at night and the patient is not aware of it. Excessive snoring is one of the symptoms, but not the definitive one. Snoring occurs when the soft tissue at the back of the throat relaxes, causing a partial obstruction. The snoring sound is caused by the vibration of this tissue. However, snoring turns into sleep apnea when there is a total airway obstruction, and the persons stops breathing. The brain sends an impulse to wake up and resume breathing. This is a process that may occur several times each night, but the patient is not aware of this. The symptoms appear the next day, like fatigue, headaches, and lack of concentration. However, the health consequences might be even more serious, such as a higher risk of depression, heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular conditions. According to studies, 40% of adults snore, and 25% have sleep apnea. Of these, 90% of people are not diagnosed. One of the consequences is that 30% of car crashes are caused by sleepy drivers and that drivers with sleep apnea multiply by 5 the risk of a car accident, compared to other drivers. More Information click here.