Through years of research and studies conducted on sleep apnea and the way to address its prevalence in commercial drivers or the condition in general, it was found out that there are a lot of several factors involved in the development of this particular sleep disorder. According to reports, sleep apnea has been found to be common in men who have weight that are more than what they should be having. Other than that, age has been found to be a factor because most of the men who have sleep apnea are middle-aged. Certain health risks, such as diabetes, high blood pressure or hypertension, and some heart diseases, are also found to be factors in the development of the sleep disorder.
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Through time, certain companies where men are their common employees have started to worry about sleep apnea. It was in 2012 when an Australian research study revealed that around 40% of truck drivers have sleep apnea and it can be dangerous both to the driver himself as well as for the employment he is into. The significantly major problem in sleep apnea of commercial truck drivers or any other related vehicles evidently poses a risk on public safety because of a lot of reasons. First and foremost, it is important for the people to know what sleep apnea is. The said condition is generally characterized by abnormalities in breathing during sleep. The breathing of a person with sleep apnea undergoes repetitive pauses or shallow breaths. You can go here for more of the basics of sleep apnea.
The common symptoms associated with sleep apnea are ignored most of the time because people tend to think that they are normal occurrences. Fatigue and daytime sleepiness are said to be two of the most common manifestation of sleep apnea, and truck drivers would think that these are work related health effects, not knowing that they may already be suffering from sleep apnea. Truck drivers without the knowledge of their sleep disorder are at greater risks of falling asleep while driving. This instance put them in a serious possibility of causing vehicular or traffic accidents. That is why there are DOT regulations for sleep apnea in order to provide a safer environment for truck drivers as well as the public.
Recently, the DOT regulations for sleep apnea issues would want any person with a Body Mass Index, or BMI, of 35 or greater or a neck size of 17 inches or more to undergo a certain test performed to diagnose or detect sleep apnea, called the sleep test or sleep study. Fortunately, there are certain companies to offer the test for free and anywhere in the United States of America, such as the Pulmonary and Sleep Consultation. Their service includes a free shipping where they send the test to you and at the comfort of your home. For more information, visit the official website of Pulmonary and Sleep Consultants now.