Archive for August, 2011

Truck Driver Sleep Apnea

Wednesday, August 31st, 2011

truck driver sleep apneaThere’s nothing more hazardous on our roads than someone at the wheel of a big rig who has truck driver sleep apnea. The likelihood of him or her dozing off increases the longer they continue driving with their untreated truck driver sleep apnea. It’s important for truck drivers to take part in a sleep study for drivers, that way if there’s a problem, like sleep apnea for instance, it can be diagnosed and treated without further delay.

At AeroFlow Industrial Clinics we offer a free survey for anyone thinking they have truck driver sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a very serious condition that needs to be diagnosed and treated.  You can then have your survey answers reviewed by a physician at no charge. The physician requires some basic information from you in case your questionnaire results are positive and you need to be contacted for additional testing. Your results and information are considered private and are protected information under Federal and State laws.

Usually the symptoms of sleep apnea can be treated with a device called a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airways Pressure) machine. This is a mask which has to be worn at night, with a pump beside the bed which pushes pressurized air into the nose, keeping the airway passages open. The CPAP works well in most cases and helps those with truck driver sleep apnea get a good night’s sleep. But it only treats the symptoms, and for this reason has to be used for the rest of the sufferer’s life.

Losing weight is obviously a better solution and is an option if you have mild sleep apnea. Even a 10% loss in weight can cause a decrease in snoring and sleep apnea and bring about an improvement in sleep.

Sleep apnea is very common, as common as adult diabetes, and affects more than twelve million Americans, according to the National Institutes of Health. Untreated, truck driver sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure and other cardiovascular disease, memory problems, weight gain, impotency, and headaches. Moreover, untreated sleep apnea may be responsible for job impairment and motor vehicle crashes. With the proper information on sleep apnea it can be diagnosed and treated.

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Sleep Apnea Survey

Saturday, August 27th, 2011

sleep apnea surveySleep apnea is a serious condition. It is a condition wherein there is cessation of breathing for 10 seconds or more during sleep. Sleeping is vital to the well-being of a person and it is recommended that people get 8 hours of sleep each night. If you think you might have sleep apnea it should not be taken lightly. We offer a free sleep apnea survey for anyone who is interested in having their answers reviewed by a physician. The sleep apnea survey poses questions about snoring, breathing, neck size, blood pressure and if or when you find yourself dozing off. The survey can provide you with a sleep score to determine if it’s possible you have sleep apnea. Using this score your physician would determine if you require a sleep study to confirm the diagnosis of sleep apnea.

There are various side effects of sleep apnea. Because sleep apnea is experienced during sleeping most of the side effects are manifested during waking hours of the person. The most common symptom is exhaustion during the day. During sleep a person is awakened due to the cessation of breathing thus causing interrupted sleep. The brain signals the person to wake up in order to breathe again. This cycle happens repeatedly. Lack of ample sleep makes the person feel tired and sleepy during the daytime.

Moodiness, lack of concentration and irritability are also manifested from sleep apnea. With less energy due to a sleepless night, the person thrives to concentrate but all efforts are in vain. This causes the person to be more irritable and mood changes could likely follow. Temporary loss of memory can be a problem also.

Depression is common in people who experience a lack of sleep for a long period of time. This mood disorder is characterized by sadness, feeling low and helplessness. When a person without sleep is unable to do something to be able to have enough sleep this can lead to a sense of helplessness that the depression stems from.

If you or a loved one experiences any of these symptoms, we encourage you to take our free sleep apnea survey.

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Trucking Safety

Monday, August 22nd, 2011

trucking safetyThe National Transportation Safety Board has conducted studies, which concluded “driver fatigue could be significantly implicated in up to 20% of all large truck accident fatalities and 7% of all accidents involving both fatalities and injuries”. In fact, one-third of drivers questioned in a survey admitted they had fallen asleep at the wheel in the last 12 months. Research shows driver fatigue is most notable between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., followed by mid-afternoon. Drivers are under constant pressure to meet delivery deadlines and profit margins can be quite slim, thus forcing drivers to continue driving when fatigued.

Federal and state regulations require some interstate truck drivers to maintain a record of their status either by using an approved log grid or an automatic on-board recording device to maintain trucking safety. These types of logs often do not provide a reliable means of tracking the number of hours a truck driver is on the road and many truck companies are not strict when it comes to making sure their drivers comply with service limits and therefore the requirements for trucking safety.

Fortunately, there are now new technology advances in trucking safety that can help alert a truck driver when he/she may be falling asleep. For example, Lane Departure Warning Systems (LDWS) monitor the location of the vehicle within the lane and alert the driver when the vehicle drifts from the lane. Other systems that monitor trucking safety of the vehicle, such as steering position monitors, as well as systems that monitor driver behavior, such as one system that measures the driver’s eyelid closure, have also been developed to detect fatigue. These on-board devices can signal the drivers that their alertness is diminishing, both helping to increase their alertness in the short term and prompting them to seek opportunities to stop and rest. Unfortunately, these devices are not yet mandated to replace the manual driving logs.

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Sleep Apnea Diagnosis

Wednesday, August 17th, 2011

sleep apnea diagnosisOnce you have received a sleep apnea diagnosis your doctor will suggest a treatment plan based on the various sleep apnea solutions available.

Your sleep apnea diagnosis determined the type and level of sleep apnea you have. Mild to moderate Obstructive Sleep Apnea, occurs when sleeping on your back. For severe sleep apnea and pregnancy-related OSA, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the primary treatment of choice. CPAP treatment is also recommended for drivers of commercial vehicles with severe sleep apnea.

The prescribed treatments following your sleep apnea diagnosis may include many different things. Losing weight might be one of those things because the most common cause of sleep apnea is obesity. If you have mild sleep apnea, this might be all that is needed. Restricting sleep positions have also been found to be useful in some cases.

sleep apnea diagnosisAnother form of treatment is Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) device. CPAP treatment requires the patient to wear a mask over the nose during sleep. The mask is connected by a hose to a small air pressure generator. When the mask is worn, the air pressure inside the throat is increased. The air pressure is adjusted so that it is just enough to prevent the throat from collapsing during sleep. The devices have improved over the years and are much quieter now with improved fit and comfort.

An oral device is sometimes fitted by a dentist to treat sleep apnea after a sleep apnea diagnosis and is worn much like a mouth-guard. They are designed to keep the jaw and/or tongue in a forward position thus allowing the airway to remain open. Generally, oral devices work best for patients with mild to moderate OSA, patients who experience OSA mostly in the supine position (when sleeping on their backs).

A variety of surgical techniques have also been used to remedy sleep apnea. Surgery can be done to reconfigure the upper airway so that it remains open during sleep, but these procedures may not be helpful in every patient, and their long term effectiveness is unproven.

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