According to a new research study presented at the 2013 Sleep and Breathing Conference in Berlin, and discussed on Everyday Health, people with untreated sleep apnea could be a serious danger on the road. Sleep apnea can cause daytime sleepiness and the initial findings of the study suggest that people with untreated sleep apnea are more likely to nod off while driving than people without sleep apnea. What’s even scarier? According to the American College of Physicians between 80 to 90 percent of people with sleep apnea are undiagnosed.

Meir Kryger, MD, author of Elsevier’s leading sleep medicine text Principles and Practice of Sleep Medicine, said the findings indicate that those with sleep apnea need to recognize their condition — and stick to the prescribed treatment regimen.

“The No. 1 reason people with sleep apnea are referred to a clinic is because of daytime sleepiness,” he said. “When people are sleepy, they may be okay at short tasks, but if they need to do something that requires a lot of attention for a long period of time, such as driving, they’ll often make mistakes.”

Dr. Kryger also noted that some treatments for sleep apnea, such as CPAP machines, can be uncomfortable and therefore lead to noncompliance.

One possible solution: Doctors across all medical specialties need to get better at recognizing the symptoms of sleep apnea, which will allow for earlier diagnosis and treatment.

“There are still a lot of doctors who do not routinely ask questions about whether sleep apnea is a possibility,” Kryger said. “In my opinion, everyone who goes into a medical office should be asked about their sleep habits, and whether they’re sleepy during the day or snore at night.”

Meir Kryger, MD is a world renowned sleep medicine expert with extensive experience in all areas of sleep and breathing disorders. To learn more about sleep medicine and how Dr. Kryger began his medical journey, visit Dr. Meir Kryger’s Elsevier Authors Bio page. To read the full article on the dangers of driving with untreated sleep apnea, visit Everyday Health.

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