Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Driving: It’s a Dangerous Mix

In fact, it’s so dangerous, the American Sleep Assocation is Hosting a conference just to address Trucking and Sleep Issues. May 11-12 in Baltimore Maryland. Visit their site at this link The American Sleep Association Sleep Apnea and Trucking Converence

Facts and Numbers of Driving and Sleep Apnea

Below are the bullet points listed from the American Sleep Association’s website:

~Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and SafetyOSA afflicts at least 20 million Americans…more than asthma or diabetes, and yet more than 85% remain undiagnosed.
~People with OSA tend to have high blood pressure, heart problems, stroke, depression and sexual dysfunction with annual health care costs TWO TIMES HIGHER than those without OSA.
~People with OSA are SIX times more likely to have a crash and SEVEN TIMES more likely to have multiple accidents.
~More than 800,000 drivers were involved in OSA-related car crashes in 2000, costing more than $15.9 billion in damage claiming 1,400 lives.
~It’s estimated that if all drivers with OSA were treated, $11.1B in damages could be saved, along with 980 lives each year.
~MOST IMPORTANTLY, accident and health risks return to NORMAL when individuals are diagnosed and treated for OSA.

At Dental Sleep Medicine of Illinois, in Naperville, we strongly urge you to find out if you do have Obstructive sleep apnea. Visit your primary care physician to learn more.

Have you been diagnosed with sleep apnea and are looking for a CPAP-alternative? We can help! Dr. Lydia Sosenko, a diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine, and general dentist, offers Oral Appliance Therapy, an effective and convenient alternative to a CPAP.

Call our office today, 1-800-SNORING, in northern Illinois, or 630-369-5508.

We Love to Help Our Patients Sleep CPAP-Free!

Tags: accidents, car crashes, CPAP-alternative, cpap-free, depression, driving with obstructive sleep apnea, effective cpap alternative, general dentist, high blood pressure, Illinois, Naperville, obstructive sleep apnea, Oral Appliance Therapy, stroke, treatment for obstructive sleep apnea

This entry was posted on February 3, 2010 at February 3, 2010 and is filed under Sleep Article Summary. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.