About Drowsy Driving

What is Sleep Apnea?

Obstructive Sleep Apnea, also known as OSA, afflicts approximately 20 million adult men and women in the United States. People with OSA stop breathing repeatedly during sleep because the airway collapses. This may be due to such factors as a large tongue, extra tissue in the airway or decreased muscle tone holding the airway open. As a result, air is prevented from getting into the lungs. The resulting pauses in breathing can happen 30 times or more per hour. When sleep is interrupted this way, it puts a strain on the heart and can lead to a number of serious health conditions.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea can occur in men, women and children of all ages and sizes. Most people who have OSA do not realize they suffer from the condition. In fact, it is often the bed partner who witnesses the first signs of OSA. Key signs and symptoms include excessive daytime sleepiness, loud or disruptive snoring and gasping or choking during sleep. Other common symptoms include grogginess and morning headaches, frequent urination at night, depression and irritability, obesity and a large neck or crowding of the upper airway.

What are potential risks of not treating Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

• High blood pressure
• Heart disease and heart attack
• Stroke
• Fatigue-related motor vehicle and work accidents
• Excessive daytime sleepiness

Because of the excessive daytime sleepiness and co-morbidities that exist with OSA, drivers who have untreated OSA can become a hazard to themselves and others while on the road.

Driving and Obstructive Sleep Apnea
A research study on sleep apnea sponsored by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the American Transportation Research Institute of the American Trucking Associations (ATA) found that 28.1 percent of those studied, holding a CDL, had some form of sleep apnea.¹

For more information about Obstructive Sleep Apnea visit:
www.sleepapneainfo.com
www.philips.com/respironics
www.sleepapnea.org

For more information about trucking and wellbeing, visit: www.truckersforacause.com