We have a free online Sleep Apnea Survey on our website so can get your sleep score. Sleep apnea is a very serious condition that needs to be diagnosed and treated. This free service is for people like you who are interested in having their answers reviewed by a physician at absolutely no charge. The physician requires some basic information from you in case your questionnaire results are positive and you need to be contacted regarding sleep apnea testing. Your results and information are considered private and are protected information under Federal and State laws.

We also have a forum on our website that you can participate in and talk to others who have had testing, diagnosis and are undergoing treatment.

Behavioral and lifestyle changes could be mandated in the treatment of sleep apnea in truck drivers in order to ensure fleet driver safety. Those with mild cases respond well to adjustments as simple as adjusting their sleep position. Losing weight is also an option recommended to those who are overweight. Sleep apnea episodes can often be reduced by using devices that help to keep individuals on their side during sleep.

The most widely used and effective treatment method for more serious cases of sleep apnea is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment. The patient sleeps with a CPAP mask while continuous air is forced through the nasal passages into the airways. This prevents the throat from collapsing during sleep. Doctors sometimes prescribe dental appliances for the patient to wear to control sleep apnea.

Obstructive sleep apnea or OSA, is the most common form of sleep apnea. OSA occurs when throat muscles relax during sleep, the air passages become blocked because soft tissues around the throat and nasal passages also relax thus impeding the free flow of air.

Central sleep apnea or CSA occurs during sleep. There is an imbalance in the brain’s respiratory control center disrupting the signals between the brain and the diaphragm muscles that control breathing.

Sleep apnea treatments include several sleep apnea machines to treat OSA. One treatment option is Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Therapy or CPAP. A mask which is hooked to a machine that supplies air under constant pressure is worn over the mouth and nose while sleeping. Positive air pressure is utilized to keep the user’s airways open.

Another treatment option is a BIPAP or bi-level adjustable airway pressure device. This device automatically adjusts the air pressure while exhaling. More pressure is provided when inhaling and less when exhaling making it easier to exhale for many users.

Oral appliances are also useful sleep apnea treatments for OSA. These appliances can keep the throat open by helping to keep the jaw and tongue in proper alignment when lying down. These are easier to use than the Continuous Positive Airway Pressure and BI-Level Positive Airway machines but the latter are often more effective.

Other treatments are as simple as adjusting your sleep position, losing weight, and quitting smoking. Any one of these can have a huge impact on your sleep apnea issues.

1. Keep up to date with new safety regulations and truck driving laws. This can be done online and your carrier employer is responsible for circulating safety developments to you as soon as they receive information from the FMCSA.

2. Maintenance of your vehicle is essential for safe driving. Follow a regular maintenance schedule to ensure that the truck is in good condition.

3. Truckers need to practice the art of defensive driving. Many automobile drivers lack the skills to maneuver around or behind trucks that can lead to potentially fatal mistakes.

4. Staying alert is required to maintain trucker safety. You should be aware of when you need to take a break. Find and use trusted rest areas and truck stops. Know your limitations and take steps to stay alert. Make the best use of rest breaks to relax and refresh yourself for the rest of your journey.

5. If you are responsible for unloading your cargo when you reach your destination be sure to employ proper lifting techniques. Long hours on the road can put a strain on your back muscles. Don’t further exert and injure yourself in the process.

6. Truck drivers have the responsibility to ensure that they are in good physical condition. Fatigue management is important to trucker safety. Always make sure that you have had sufficient sleep to stay alert.

Fatigue and sleep apnea in truck drivers increase the possibility of accidents on the road. Drivers cannot stay alert while driving if they do not have adequate sleep of long enough duration. Those with sleep apnea are guaranteed not to have that.

Sleep apnea in truck drivers, left untreated, increases the risk of other health issues. Heart attacks, strokes, high blood pressure and various immune problems can all arise as a result of undiagnosed and thus untreated sleep apnea. All of these additional conditions increase the amount a company is paying for health care more so than if the sleep apnea was diagnosed and treated at its first signs. Health care costs associated with sleep apnea can be reduced by 50% per driver when the sleep apnea in truck drivers is treated.

You can hire sleep specialists like AeroFlow Industrial Clinics to test your drivers and make treatment recommendations. We’ll follow through with periodic evaluations to be sure the treatments of choice made by your drivers diagnosed with sleep apnea are being used and are alleviating the apnea.

When simple lifestyle changes don’t alleviate the disorder other types of obstructive sleep apnea treatment consist of using a continuous positive away pressure (CPAP) machine during sleep. This delivers air pressure through a mask placed over your nose while you sleep. This keeps your upper airway passages open, preventing apnea and snoring.

There are other types of adjustable airway pressure devices if you find the CPAP machine is too uncomfortable. There are units that supply bilevel positive airway pressure known as BPAP machines. They provide more pressure when you inhale and less when you exhale.

Another obstructive sleep apnea treatment is wearing an oral appliance specifically designed to keep your throat open. Many people find these easiest to use. You may need to try different devices to find the one that works best for you. To find the right fit you’d need to visit your dentist.

Additionally there are surgical options for treating obstructive sleep apnea where tissue is removed from your throat that may be vibrating and blocking your air passages causing sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea occurs in all age groups and both sexes, but there are a number of factors that increase risk, including having a small upper airway (or large tongue, tonsils or uvula), being overweight, small jaw or a large overbite, having a recessed chin, a large neck size (17 inches or greater in a man, or 16 inches or greater in a woman), smoking and alcohol use, being age 40 or older, and ethnicity (African-Americans, Pacific-Islanders and Hispanics). OSA seems to run in some families, suggesting a possible genetic basis.

People doing second and third shift work may be at an increased risk of developing sleep apnea. It’s imperative they talk to their employer or HR department about obtaining occupational sleep education materials. When deemed necessary a sleep study can be performed at a local sleep clinic or hospital. Additional occupational sleep education can be found on our website as well as the National Sleep Foundation website. We offer a full range of supplies for those who have been diagnosed with sleep apnea. Give us a call and talk to our sleep specialists to see how we can help you today.

The process for finding a sleep apnea cure consists of gathering data on the individual including sleep habits (ie. sleep positions), weight, neck measurements, whether or not they smoke, and ultimately having a sleep study done. The sleep study can be performed either in the comfort of your own home or in a sleep clinic or hospital where you will be required to spend the night.

It’s essential to learn the type and severity of your sleep apnea in order to determine the best sleep apnea cure from the options that are available. There are three types of sleep apnea — obstructive, central, and mixed. You could have any one of these and part of testing is finding out which one you have as well as the level of severity.

If someone is unable to get restful sleep at night they will not be able to perform well the next day. There are many people — some of them your employees — who are always tired but don’t know why. They blame the mattress, the spouse, or the kids. They blame stress, the job, or even you, the boss. The very fact that they’re not sleeping well is cause enough for concern. We can assure you that if they’re not getting restful sleep then you are not getting the level of workplace productivity from them that you could be getting.

There is no doubt that there’s a correlation between sleep apnea and workplace productivity and the negative impact sleep apnea has on production. This is why it’s imperative that the employees who appear lethargic and sluggish be seen by their medical physician at the earliest opportunity. Not only are they producing less for you than they could, they are also a hazard on the job, especially where equipment is in use. We urge you to give this the attention it deserves.

There are three types of sleep apnea: obstructive, central, and mixed; of the three, obstructive sleep apnea is the most common. Despite the difference in the cause of each type, in all three, people with untreated sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep, sometimes hundreds of times during the night and often for a minute or longer.

AeroFlow Industrial Clinics provides a free Sleep Apnea Survey to get your sleep score. Sleep apnea is a very serious condition that needs to be diagnosed and treated. This free service is for people who are interested in having their answers reviewed by a physician. Some basic information from you will be required in case your questionnaire results are positive and you need to be contacted to have a sleep apnea test scheduled. Your results and information are considered private and are protected information under Federal and State laws.