eFitnessConnection

 

Sleeping sickness: Do you have it?

Anywhere from 12 to 18 million adults suffer from sleep apnea. But fewer than a third know it.

 

Alarmingly, many victims find out only after they have been in an accident. A study from the University of California, San Diego, estimated that 567,000 car crashes a year -nearly a thousand of them fatal- could be prevented if doctors diagnosed sleep apnea more often.

 

 

 

Who's most ar risk? Obese individuals, men more than women, and people over 40. Smoking, drinking, and a family history of the disorder up the chances. But anyone can have the kind of anatomical glitch that obstructs the airway and causes apnea. Be suspicious if you have several of these symptoms:

Loud snoring

Excessive perspiration during the night

Waking in the night with a sensation of choking

Waking up with headaches or dry mouth

Difficulty concentrating or staying awake during the day

Depression, reduced libido

 

 

 

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