What to Know
- Sleep apnea can be a major risk factor for medical problems like heart disease, heart attacks, high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer.
- People who are overweight, older than 50 or have high blood pressure are at higher risk.
- Sleep apnea can be treated with a CPAP machine, surgery, and diet and exercise.
Up to 30 percent of Americans suffer from sleep apnea, but it can be hard to identify because it happens while you’re asleep.
“These apnea episodes can last anywhere from 10 seconds to two minutes,” University of Maryland Sleep Disorder Center Director Dr. Steven Scharf said.
But the episodes don’t always wake you up, so you might not know if you had one.
If you’re sleep quality is poor and you’re exhausted the next day, it’s worth finding out if you have it. Sleep apnea can be a major risk factor for serious medical problems, including heart disease, heart attacks, high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer.
At home tests can help you diagnose sleep apnea. If you live alone, record your sleep and take the recording to a doctor.
People who are overweight, older than 50 or have high blood pressure are at higher risk. Sleep apnea is more common in men than women.
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Patients can treat sleep apnea with a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. Surgery can help very severe cases. And diet and exercise can help people with mild symptoms.
