Sleep Apnea Myths & Facts
Posted on Friday, June 5th, 2020 at 4:12 pm
Sleep apnea affects about 18 million American adults. But even though it is so common, there are still many myths about the sleep disorder that many people still wrongly believe, including:
Myth #1 – If I am not overweight, I cannot have sleep apnea.
This is not true. Though being overweight or obese has been proven to increase your risk of developing sleep apnea, it does not solely affect people who are overweight. Even individuals who are at a healthy weight can develop a sleep disorder. This could be attributed to their neck anatomy, especially if you have large tonsils or a large neck.
Myth #2 – Children cannot get sleep apnea.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, about 3% of all children suffer from sleep apnea. Between 10% and 20% of children who snore suffer from sleep apnea.
Myth #3 – Everyone who suffers from sleep apnea snores loudly.
Johns Hopkins Medicine reports that approximately 20% of sleep apnea patients do not snore. However, they do exhibit the other symptoms of sleep apnea, such as waking up gasping for air and waking up with a headache.
Myth #4 – Sleep apnea only affects men.
This is a common misconception. Even though many people believe that sleep apnea primarily affects men, it also affects women in large numbers. But women are less likely to tell their doctors they snore, and many symptoms of sleep apnea – insomnia, difficulty sleeping, headaches, daytime fatigue – can be attributed to other problems.
Contact an OSA Specialist at Silent Night Therapy
The OSA team at Silent Night Therapy is here to assist you. Despite the difficulties presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, our sleep experts are offering sleep studies you can do from the safety of your home. Just follow the instructions and send the kit back in the mail when you are finished. After we evaluate the test results, we will contact you via phone or video consultation to discuss your next steps.
We are still available to help despite the coronavirus and will get you the care you need through remote consultations and at-home sleep studies. Give us a call at 631-983-2463 to speak with a knowledgeable member of our team today.
