Member-only story
Sleep Apnea: New Treatment Options You Should Know About
Updated April 27, 2021
One obstacle to the diagnosis of sleep apnea is patient fear of treatment options. They may not know that more patient-centric options are now available.
Over the past few years, the number of adults living with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has steadily increased. If you’re not familiar, OSA is a sleep-related breathing disorder that impacts one’s ability to breathe during sleep. Across the world, it’s predicted that at least a billion people have this condition, with 25 million estimated to have OSA just in the United States alone [1],[2].
Alarmingly, it’s also predicted that 80 percent of all sleep apnea patients remain undiagnosed [3]. This statistic is disturbing, especially considering the consequences associated with this common condition. If left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to serious health conditions, including high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and stroke — and it some cases, it can even be fatal.
Why are there so many undiagnosed OSA patients?
The sleep community is worried that the number of undiagnosed OSA patients has consistently remained so high. It is especially concerning since sleep apnea is highly treatable. There are…
