Scary Stats About Sleep Apnea

An article written by Don Gronning entitled "Sleeping your way to health" (view article here) on the Daily Record's website (Ellensburg, Washington) quotes Dr. Geoffrey Greenberg, a sleep apnea specialist, as saying that studies show that of the people who have untreated obstructive sleep apnea, 40% die within 8 years.

My advice: Don't fear treatment.

Most people use a CPAP machine, which is simply Continuous Positive Airway Pressure delivered by a small device to a mask that goes over your nose or mouth and nose.

I have severe sleep apnea and use my CPAP every night, all night long. It's set on a very high pressure setting. It took some getting use to, yes, but it is not a medicine. I am currently unaware of side effects except nasal passage dryness, which is treated with over-the-counter saline nose spray.

You are not alone. A lot of people have sleep apnea.

Dr. Greenberg also points out that 4 to 5% of the American population has sleep apnea and it is more common than diabetes.

He reaffirms what I've heard before, that sleep apnea is not necessarily weight related. He states that 10% of sleep apnea sufferers are normal weight.