A study published by the UCLA School of Nursing on the topic of sleep apnea in women suggests that sleep apnea symptoms in women differ from men. Women who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may look healthy and have normal resting blood pressure, and their symptoms are not obvious therefore their sleep problems are often missed and misdiagnosed with other conditions. In fact, more than 20 million US adults are affected and at increased various health risks due to sleep apnea but this does not include women who are not being diagnosed which might be due to the perception of men are more susceptible to sleep apnea as compared to women. This inherently poses women with an unknown and dangerous risk as sleep apnea impacts women’s health in a different way.
In the study, three tests were conducted focusing on the effects of heart rate changes in patients with and without sleep apnea. The results show that the impact of sleep apnea is more severe in women than men and hence women are more likely to develop symptoms of heart disease and other consequences that affect their daily tasks. The findings elucidate that women are less frequently diagnosed with sleep apnea which can be due to misdiagnosis as sleep apnea symptoms in women differ from men. The typical symptom in men such as snoring or difficulty in sleep or daytime sleepiness is not common in women but some women experience mental blank outs when driving. Often women especially women with menopause suffering from sleep apnea are diagnosed with thyroid issues or other types of medical conditions instead of sleep apnea.
Chronic fatigue, extreme tiredness and insomnia are not classic symptoms of sleep apnea but are common sleep apnea symptoms in women and are often linked to other conditions instead of sleep apnea. Some women woke up suddenly feeling a need to gasp for air or choke but were not sure what had woken them up. Therefore, it is crucial that early detection and treatment are required for women to protect themselves against damage to the brain and other organs.
If you or your close family are women and experiencing symptoms of sleep apnea, do consult the doctor to be diagnosed early via sleep apnea test to avoid any long-term issues and early intervention such as CPAP therapy with sleep apnea device to get better sleep and overall well-being.
The Air Station
