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Professional Drivers And Sleep Apnea — Should Drivers Be Issued CPAP Masks?

May 16, 2009 on 3:25 pm | In Uncategorized | No Comments

Research has shown those suffering from this sleep disorder are seven times more likely to have an accident. For the past several years, health organizations such as the American College of Occupation and Environment Medicine (ACOEM), the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), and the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) have promoted sleep apnea testing for commercial drivers.

When you consider there are approximately 2.4 – 3.9 million commercial truck drivers alone, CPAP masks could be preventing millions of accidents and at least that many lives.

Sleep Apnea And Its Causes

Two types of conditions can be the root cause of sleep apnea. The first is when the brain fails to send and receive the proper neurological signals that tell your body to inhale and exhale. The second is known as ‘obstructive sleep apnea,’ meaning that something either blocks or closes off the airway causing breathing to stop. Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common type of sleep apnea — but also the most treatable.

Obesity is one of the most common causes of sleep apnea. Because professional drivers spend so much time being stationary, they are more prone to weight conditions, and therefore, are at higher risk for this kind of condition. Once they develop this malady, men and women are both at higher risk for diseases such as strokes, heart disease, and high blood pressure — and sleep apnea.

Why Drivers With Sleep Apnea Can Be Fatal to Motorists

The effects of long-term sleep deprivation can be devastating to the sufferer. But when a sleep deprived person is behind the wheel of a multi-ton semi-truck, the effects can be devastating to the public as a whole. When drivers do not receive the proper amount of sleep, and particularly regenerative REM rest, they become slower to react, inattentive, have poorer decision-making skills, and may even fall asleep while driving.

Fighting For A Diagnosis And Proper Treatment

Confusion over testing and treatment with CPAP masks has resulted in a large number of professional drivers going untested, undiagnosed, and untreated. Many patients might not be aware that they have sleep apnea.

Surgery is a treatment option in some instances, but it isn’t the norm. Other treatments such as weight loss and exercise programs can help alleviate the symptoms if obesity is the cause. The most common treatment method is the use of CPAP masks and machines. These small machines force air through a small tube, into the CPAP mask, and through your airway preventing obstruction.

Sleep apnea may not seem like it is initially responsible for vehicle accidents, but it certainly can be traced back to the core of many accidents. Many organizations feel that testing should be made mandatory for anyone who spends time driving large machines or working around equipment. When truck drivers are in a healthy, alert state of mind, everyone is safer.