Sleep Apnea - Page 2

At the Sleep Center in Roper Hospital downtown, four beds run six nights a week as patients undergo nocturnal polysomnography (sleep studies).  “We see as many as we have room for,” Fultz adds.  “About a thousand patients a year.”

Various figures are available but it is estimated that between 5-10% of the general population suffers from some degree of sleep apnea.  Truck drivers tend to bear a heavier burden of sleep apnea, with some estimates between 40-60%.  Not a particularly comforting thought, considering that a frequent consequence of sleep apnea is nodding off.  “Truck drivers are becoming more focused on by the Department of Transportation in terms of this,” he adds.  “They have guidelines that if you know you have sleep apnea and operate this kind of vehicle, you need to show that you have seen a doctor and are using your treatment.  It is very common now.” 

“We also see this in football players, particularly linebackers and defensive ends, because they are big guys,” he adds.  “In men, generally, if your neck size is over seventeen and a half inches and you snore, you probably have sleep apnea.  In women, the magic number seems to be around a sixteen inch neck size.” 

Snoring, smoking, and neck size are good predictors of possible sleep apnea.  “Smoking irritates the upper airway, keeps it inflamed, and makes it a little more crowded back there,” he says. 

Continued on page 3

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