To most people, sleep apnea is thought of as a disorder that strikes primarily men. New research, though, is making it clear that this dangerous nighttime problem is just as likely to strike women.
This study comes from Europe, and it confirms that, just like in men, high blood pressure and obesity can increase a woman’s risk of suffering from sleep apnea. Some of the numbers are quite shocking. For example, among female study participants who were only 20 years of age, the Swedish researchers found evidence of obstructive sleep apnea symptoms in as many as 20%.
The researchers, working at Sweden’s Uppsala and Umeå University, also found that the likelihood of sleep apnea went up significantly with specific risk factors. Incidence of high blood pressure brought the likelihood of sleep apnea to a full 80%. When obesity was added as a risk factor, the number rose to 84%.
Obstructive sleep apnea is a dangerous condition which causes sufferers to stop breathing while asleep for as long as ten seconds at a time. The term “obstructive” comes from the fact that the breathing issues are caused by a physical obstruction created in the internal physiology of the sufferer.
What makes obstructive sleep apnea even more dangerous is that the patient suffering from the disorder is often not even aware of its existence. It is only when a spouse, roommate or someone else who shares a sleeping space notices the unusual sleeping patterns or loud snores that often accompany the disorder that most cases of obstructive sleep apnea are diagnosed.
There are a few symptoms women can watch out for, however. Unusual tiredness during the day after a full night’s rest is the most common of these. Patients may also experience unexplained headaches, depression, anxiety and even insomnia. Women who experience these symptoms – and especially those who also have one or both of the major risk factors of obesity and high blood pressure – are encouraged to report their concerns to a medical professional.
While sleep disorders often require sleep studies and specialized treatment for diagnosis, helping women determine if they might have such a problem is part of the regular well woman care increasingly provided by OB/GYNs and nurse midwives. If you have the above symptoms accompanied by the listed risk factors, or if someone with whom you share a sleeping space has reported snoring or troubling breathing patterns during the night, call your OB/GYN.
