I think my husband has sleep apnea

[Bendy]

I am pretty sure my husband has sleep apnea but he will not tell the doctor that he stops breathing in his sleep and that his whole body throws itself around the body kick starting until he breaths again.  He says if he does and he gets sent to the sleep clinic he may loose his driving liscence is this true?  His brother had sleep apnea but it was not known until his body swelled up and he was taken into hospital.  He was given a machine to help him breath on a night.  He had a serious heart problem.  He later died because of it.  

[Steven Y Park, MD]

This is a potentially serious issue. It sound like his brother had a major complication of sleep apnea. Untreated sleep apnea can cause heart disease, including heart attack and stroke. In most states, documenting that you are being properly treated for obstructive sleep apnea should be enough to prevent you from losing your license. Check with your sleep doctor regarding the specific details, since laws vary by state. But if he's driving currently without being treated, not only is he a danger to himself, but he's a danger to others on the road. Would you want your children to be driven by a school bus driver with untreated sleep apnea? It's been shown that this is just as bad, if not worse, than being drunk!

[Steven Y Park, MD]

Untreated sleep apnea can cause poor focus and memory, delayed reaction times, and falling asleep at the wheel, all very dangerous for the driver and others on the road. As I said, it's as bad, if not worse than being legally drunk. Even mild sleep deprivation for 3-5 nights in a row can cause reaction times to diminish to levels of being drunk. Not to mention the medical effects of untreated obstructive sleep apnea which includes hypertension, depression, diabetes, heart disease, heart attack and stroke. No matter how hard one concentrates or engages in activities like opening the window, whistling, or singing, your risk of having an accident is MUCH higher. It's estimated that sleep apnea causes about 800,000 motor vehicle accidents in this country, with almost 16 billion dollars in cost and 1400 lives lost every year.

Fear of losing your license is not a good reason to avoid getting it diagnosed. As long as it's treated properly, you won't lose your license. If you are a public bus driver, train operator or pilot, or any other profession where you have responsibility over many lives, there are much more stringent requirements to prove that you are being optimally treated (for good reason). Many of the major tragedies are thought to be due to a driver or operator falling asleep while operating heavy machinery (Exxon Valdez?) If you know you have a problem and refuse to get it treated and either you or someone gets injured or killed as a result, you can imagine what the legal, financial, emotional, criminal and ethical ramifications are.

[Janet1977]

Why would you lose your license if you have sleep apnea?  Isn't that just when someone stops breathing in their sleep.  If your awake, it's not like you stop breathing.  Help me understand sleep apnea please!!

[Bendy]

Thankyou for your answer.  I do not know anything about sleep doctors as you have to be refered to a sleep clinic by your GP.  My husband is unwilling to go to our GP because he thinks that if it were know he was going to a sleep clinic he would instantly loose his license.  He is fine in the vehicles because he consentrates so hard but as soon as he gets home and sits down to relax he is fast asleep and snoreing.