As we are always bringing you up-to-date information on the dangers of sleep apnea, you may be wondering, is it really that big of a deal? The answer is absolutely!
We all know someone who’s snoring is so bad, you can still hear it in the next room. However, snoring is mostly annoying and is often confused with sleep apnea. This is a serious sleep disorder that is characterized by pauses in breathing, sometimes as often as 100 times each night. A person with sleep apnea may often feel excessive daytime sleepiness, experience morning headaches and have a dry mouth upon waking up.
Many people think the condition only affects older men or people who are overweight but, the sleep apnea affects plenty of women and children as well, increasing their list of serious health risks that could lead to an earlier death. So how many people are affected exactly? The National Sleep Foundation estimates that about 18 million people or more have sleep apnea. The number is difficult to accurately account for because many people don’t get treated and other health condition may take precedent over their sleep apnea.
The Huffington Post put together the incredibly informative chart that’s posted above to give you an idea of how the number of people with sleep apnea compares to other conditions. The sleep disorder is definitely deserving of attention and prevention as it is more common than most people think.
If you suspect that you have sleep apnea or know someone who does, make sure the sleep disorder gets treated as soon as possible by a sleep specialist or discuss options with a licensed physician. Aren’t sure what a sleep apnea episode looks like? Take a look by clicking here!