Sleep apnea is a fairly common disease, and for DGT its effects can be similar to driving under the influence of alcohol, to the point that they can take away your license.
Many traffic accidents are related to alcohol, distractions, or speeding. But a significant percentage, no less than 30%, is related to drowsiness at the wheel. People who have fallen asleep while driving.
Many people get out of bed tired, or fall asleep while working or driving. In generating, the blame is placed on the few hours of sleep, on stress, but there is another very common cause, even more dangerous because it is not easy to detect: sleep apnea.
The apnea It is a breathing problem that occurs during sleep. The patient stops breathing for a few seconds, recovering his breath with a snore. There are many degrees, and in the most serious ones, breathing can stop for a minute, or it happens up to 30 times an hour.
The problem with apnea is that he who suffers it does not realize it, because he remains asleep. And if you sleep with a partner, it can be interpreted as simple snoring.
Apnea usually appears due to an obstruction in the airways, for various reasons: obesity, short neck, genetics, age, etc.
It is corrected using dental devices or breathing masksbut requires medical supervision.
As explained by our colleague Noelia López in Auto Bild, for the DGT its impact on driving is similar to drinking alcoholand people who suffer from it have six times more likely to suffer a traffic accident:
The reason is that apnea prevents you from resting properly at night. This causes drowsiness at the wheel, headaches, micro dreams, irritabilityand other symptoms that are counterproductive when driving a car.
According to Auto Bild, people diagnosed with apnea must file a report of the Sleep Unit that treats them, in a Driver Recognition Center (CRC).
This report specifies whether the disease is controlled, especially drowsiness and the type, compliance and efficacy of treatment.
The CRC performs a test called Epworth scale, which collects everyday situations in which a person falls asleep. It is complemented with the STOP-Bang questionnairewhich includes a series of objective data, such as arterial hypertension, body mass index, age or neck circumference.
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In the event that everything is positive, their driving license is renewed for one year if they are professional drivers and for three for the rest.
Yes you wake up in the morning with drowsiness, a headache, or a dry mouth, and you are tired all day, maybe you suffer Sleep apnea without knowing it. Go to a doctor to assess your condition and give you treatment, if necessary. You could avoid a future traffic accident where not only your life is at stake, but also those of others.
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism