Don’t sleep on this warning.
A sleep scientist has revealed the most commonly overlooked symptom of the dangerous sleep disorder that affects millions of Americans — urging them to pay closer attention to the quality of their nightly shuteye.
“Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is an extremely common condition, impacting hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Yet, millions suffer in silence because common symptoms of OSA may be overlooked or difficult to detect because they occur during sleep,” sleep scientist Dr. Joachim Behar told The Post.
OSA occurs when the throat muscles relax and block the airway repeatedly during sleep.
The doctor explained that “when a patient ignores the problem or is misdiagnosed, OSA becomes a risk factor for very serious conditions, including Type 2 diabetes and heart disease” — the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States.
“The good news is that some simple lifestyle changes, such as losing weight, sleeping on your side, and avoiding alcohol and sleeping pills can help reduce symptoms of OSA,” Dr. Behar, head of the Artificial Intelligence in Medicine Laboratory (AIMLab) at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, shared.
For more severe cases, doctors may prescribe a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine, which is considered the most effective treatment.
“Sleep is a growing public health concern because so many people across the globe do not receive the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep each night,” the expert warned.
Keep reading at nypost.com.
Dr. Joachim Behar is a professor in the Technion Faculty of Biomedical Engineering.
