Archive for October, 2011

Commercial Driver Sleep Apnea

Monday, October 31st, 2011

commercial driver sleep apneaPeople with sleep apnea, especially commercial driver sleep apnea, need to be evaluated by a medical professional in order to get the treatment they need. Treatment requires an individualized program that focuses on the needs of the person experiencing this debilitating disorder.

Commercial driver sleep apnea needs a complete medical history, physical examination and specific testing done immediately. The condition usually will not respond well to drug therapy. Treatment protocol requires commitment and determination by both the doctor and the patient.

Lifestyle and behavioral changes are a must in the treatment of commercial driver sleep apnea. Mild cases of the disorder respond well to changes as simple as sleep position. Losing weight is a treatment option recommended for obese individuals. Episodes can also be reduced by using special devices that keep individuals on their side during sleep.

For more serious cases of commercial driver sleep apnea, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is usually recommended. It is the most widely used and effective treatment method in use today. The patient sleeps with a mask while continuous air is forced through the nasal passages into the airways. This prevents the throat from collapsing during sleep. Some side effects that might be experienced are nasal irritation, abdominal bloating and headaches. Doctors sometimes prescribe dental appliances for the patient to wear in an effort to control sleep apnea.

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FMCSA Sleep Apnea Regulations

Tuesday, October 25th, 2011

FMCSA sleep apnea regulationsWe are often asked about FMCSA sleep apnea regulations. Here are a couple of those questions and their answers as they apply to FMCSA sleep apnea regulations.

Who can serve as a Medical Examiner and perform DOT physical exams?

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations define Medical Examiner as a person who is licensed, certified and/or registered in accordance with applicable State laws and regulations to perform physical examinations. The term includes but is not limited to doctors of medicine, doctors of osteopathy, physician assistants, advanced practice nurses and doctors of chiropractic.

Is Sleep Apnea disqualifying?

Drivers should be disqualified until the diagnosis of sleep apnea has been ruled out or has been treated successfully. As a condition of continuing qualification, it is recommended that a CMV driver agree to continue uninterrupted therapy such as CPAP, etc. / monitoring and undergo objective testing as required.

A driver with a diagnosis of (probable) sleep apnea or a driver who has Excessive Daytime Somnolence(EDS) should be temporarily disqualified until the condition is either ruled out by objective testing or successfully treated.

Narcolepsy and sleep apnea account for about 70% of EDS. EDS lasting from a few days to a few weeks should not limit a driver’s ability in the long run. However, persistent or chronic sleep disorders causing EDS can be a significant risk to the driver and the public. The examiner should consider general certification criteria at the initial and follow-up examinations:

~ Severity and frequency of EDS
~ Presence or absence of warning of attacks
~ Possibility of sleep during driving
~ Degree of symptomatic relief with treatment
~ Compliance with treatment.

For additional information on FMCSA sleep apnea regulations follow the links for information on our site or visit the FMCSA website at www.fmcsa.dot.gov.

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Occupational Sleep Apnea

Tuesday, October 18th, 2011

occupational sleep apneaHaving occupational sleep apnea, or even just not getting enough quality sleep, can make a significant impact on your day, from mood changes to daytime drowsiness. Better sleep is attainable, especially when you follow some basic tips for good sleep practices.

Occupational sleep apnea can cause health problems, job performance issues and safety hazards. According to sleep expert Michael J. Breus, PhD, studies show that people who get less than six to seven hours of sleep per night face an increased mortality rate, making sleep deprivation a greater mortality risk than even smoking, high blood pressure and heart disease are. Consistently missing out on sleep can cause serious health problems such as:

• High blood pressure
• Heart failure, heart attack or stroke
• Obesity
• Depression and other mood disorders

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) additionally states that chronic sleep deprivation can also weaken your immune system. In contrast, getting the proper amount of sleep can help your body fight off illness such as cancer and other diseases.

Occupational sleep apnea can quickly become a safety issue when you get behind the wheel or operate heavy machinery. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that “drowsy driving” causes 100,000 accidents, 71,000 injuries and 1,550 deaths each year. And excessive drowsiness increases your risk of occupational injuries twofold.

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Sleep Disorder Program

Tuesday, October 11th, 2011

sleep disorder programWe have a sleep disorder program that can successfully diagnose and treat any sleep disorder you might have. This will allow you to become more effective in your day-to-day living as you overcome excessive somnolence, restless leg syndrome, insomnia or sleep apnea. These are all treatable sleeping disorders that can be cured with the proper sleep disorder program. Let our experienced team of experts make your sleep disorder be a thing of the past as we properly diagnose and help you recover from sleepless nights.

AeroFlow Healthcare tailors our sleep disorder program to fit the testing needs of the patient. We have a full range of sleep disorder programs from a proactive screening approach for all drivers to a testing program that works with drivers who have been identified through their DOT physical as needing a sleep test. AeroFlow will help your drivers navigate the program through a testing, treatment and compliance process offering a reliable solution. Each driver has the support they need from our 24-hour clinical support ensuring they will reach compliance status through treatment.

Millions are affected each night from an array of sleeping disorders, but you don’t have to be one of them. We’ll put our knowledgeable staff to work for you so take advantage of our sleep disorder program today. It’s the dream come true you’ve been waiting for.

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Sleep Apnea and Commercial Drivers

Tuesday, October 4th, 2011

sleep apnea and commercial driversCommercial truck accidents are serious due to the size, weight and speed of these large vehicles. The Federal Motor Carrier Administration’s (FCMSA) Large Truck Crash Study revealed that 50% of such accidents result in fatal or incapacitating injuries. The truck driver was judged to be at fault in 87% of these crashes, and in 7% of cases the driver admitted to having fallen asleep while driving. Truck accidents result in over 5200 deaths annually and more than 125,000 injuries proving that sleep apnea and commercial drivers are a deadly combination. These figures are likely the tip of the iceberg regarding the total number of truck crashes due to driver fatigue. The prevalence of sleep apnea and commercial drivers is believed to be between 17% to 28%. Given that there are roughly 14 million commercial drivers license holders in the United States, somewhere between 2.4 and 3.9 million of these drivers are expected to be affected by OSA.

Unfortunately, OSA often remains unrecognized or unreported by professional drivers and their employers, as well as undiagnosed by physicians. OSA has been shown to significantly increase a driver’s likelihood of driving drowsy. Medical research demonstrates that undiagnosed sleep apnea and commercial drivers have an increased risk for falling asleep while driving and increases the possibility of an individual developing health issues such as hypertension, stroke, ischemic heart disease, and mood disorders.

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