This is an automatically translated article.
Posted by Master, Doctor Nguyen Ngoc Bach - Respiratory Specialist - Respiratory Unit - Allergy and Clinical Immunology - Vinmec Times City International Hospital
Sleep apnea syndrome is a fairly new concept for many people, but in fact this is a serious disease, especially the main cause of drowsiness and drowsiness while driving. Therefore, those who often travel long distances, who often have symptoms of sleepiness for no reason, should definitely not ignore this article.
With the development of the media today, many people know the real harms of drunk driving. In fact, there are many people who understand this and will not drive while drunk. However, there is still a problem that many people are not aware of how dangerous it is to drive while drowsy? Could this be real?
Hội chứng ngưng thở có liên quan đến việc ngủ gật khi lái xe
This is a real problem, because according to the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, drowsy driving is just as dangerous as drunk driving. Every year, drowsy drivers cause at least 100,000 accidents; many of these are fatal. In the United States, 250,000 motorists fall asleep at the wheel, causing 8,000 deaths and 60,000 injuries annually.
Why do so many people fall into such a situation? One reason is excessive daytime sleepiness caused by a medical condition: sleep apnea syndrome. Many studies have shown sleep apnea has been estimated to be responsible for five percent to 10 percent of all motor vehicle accidents.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) estimates that about 25 million adults in the United States have obstructive sleep apnea, commonly known as sleep apnea - a condition in which episodes of sleep apnea occur. breathing during sleep, with breathing interruptions often accompanied by snorts and gasps.
Khịt mũi khi ngủ là một dấu hiệu của hội chứng ngừng thở khi ngủ
People with sleep apnea are often accompanied by snoring, people around them often complain about their loud snoring, snoring can be heard clearly even in people sleeping in the room with the door closed. People with this syndrome often feel sleep deprived and sleepy during the day, they are also very easy to fall asleep even though they are doing something that requires high concentration such as driving, controlling a train... and this is also the room. cause of many traffic accidents.
Explaining this, doctors say that people with sleep apnea syndrome due to episodes of sleep apnea, so it is difficult for patients to achieve deep sleep as normal people, leading to disrupted sleep structure. broken and even though the patient sleeps a lot, they still feel tired after waking up every morning, and at the same time they always feel lack of sleep.
Những người mắc chứng ngưng thở khi ngủ thường cảm thấy thiếu ngủ
There are many people who are worried about falling asleep easily while driving, and they have tried many drugs but they are not effective. Doctors said that not only vehicle drivers but also many other subjects, if infected with this disease, it can cause serious consequences, jobs such as crew, train driver, operator Traffic network, security must be on duty...
However, solving the problem of daytime sleepiness and improving the quality of life for patients can be very feasible if treatment is followed. Moderate to severe sleep apnea is usually treated with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy to prevent airway obstruction during sleep. The prevention of airway obstruction during sleep makes it easy for patients to fall into a deep sleep, without disrupting the sleep structure and they will feel refreshed after each awakening, especially without the feeling of lack of sleep. in the morning. Several patients said, “I have never slept like that” the day after the first CPAP trial.
CPAP therapy is a method of assisting with a personal ventilator to support the patient when sleeping. The machine will continuously supply compressed air to create a pressure through the nasal mask or both the nose and mouth, the pressure will help the upper respiratory tract not collapse while sleeping. This, in addition to ensuring physiological sleep, can also help patients reduce snoring effectively. Many people have reported that their loved ones have stopped snoring since using the CPAP machine.
Liệu pháp CPAP giúp hỗ trợ cho bệnh nhân ngừng thở khi ngủ
To demonstrate the effectiveness of the treatment, Ludger Grote, associate professor in the Center for Sleep Disorders and Alertness at Sahlgrenska Academy, announced: "Studies have provided very strong evidence that the disease Obstructive sleep apnea patients have a high risk of traffic accidents and this risk can be modified if CPAP therapy is used adequately."
Using data from the Swedish Traffic Accident Registry (STRADA), the team compared traffic accident rates among 1,478 sleep apnea patients at clinical sleep laboratories and population controls 635,786 driver's license holders in Sweden.
During a study of more than 10 years, they found 21,118 individuals with a record of at least one motor vehicle accident in the control population. They also found that 82 motor vehicle crashes occurred while a sleep apnea patient was at the wheel, with 56 crashes occurring in the 5 years before diagnosis and 26 in the year following. when diagnosing.
When they analyzed the data, the researchers found that sleep apnea patients were nearly 2.5 times more likely to be drivers in a motorcycle crash than drivers in the general population. shared.
Further analysis identified several factors that independently increase the risk of traffic accidents in patients with sleep apnea while driving, such as severe daytime sleepiness, sleeping less than 5 hours per night or use sleeping pills.
Patients with apnea using CPAP effectively reduce the risk of accidents by 70%. The study also analyzed that patients with apnea who used CPAP therapy for an average of 4 hours per night or more showed a 70% reduction in their risk of being involved in a motorcycle accident while driving. Conclusions of studies have shown: "Effective identification and treatment of sleep apnea is essential to reducing avoidable, life-threatening accidents caused by drowsy driving."
Liệu pháp CPAP đang đem lại hiệu quả trong việc điều trị hội chứng ngừng thở khi ngủ
With the development of means of transport in many countries, when participating in traffic, if you are drowsy or have ever had a problem while driving related to loss of consciousness due to drowsiness, you You should see a specialist for advice and assessment of sleep quality. From there, there is a treatment direction, minimizing the risk of possible accidents.
Currently, Vinmec International General Hospital has been and continues to deploy a screening package for sleep apnea syndrome for many customers, including those with symptoms such as: snoring, sadness Excessive daytime sleep, fatigue, lack of concentration, sleep disturbances, sleep apnea, ... especially drivers who often sleep at the wrong time.
With a team of qualified, experienced doctors and nurses, who have many years of work in the profession, they will give you the most effective advice and treatment regimen for you.
Customers wishing to be examined at Vinmec International General Hospital can register for an examination at the nationwide Vinmec Hospital and Clinic system HERE.
