Tiger Woods was found to be snoring while lying unconscious on the ground after his recent car accident. Many people snore, but what most people don’t know is that snoring alone gives you a 30 to 80% chance of having obstructive sleep apnea. which not only increases your risk of car accidents from 3 to 10 times normal, but also increases your chances of developing high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. Tiger’s facial features suggests that he too may be susceptible to this all-too- common condition.
"You can be young, thin and fit and still have significant sleep apnea." says Dr. Steven Y. Park, an ear, nose and throat physician who specializes in treating snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. With about 24% of men and 10% of women having obstructive sleep apnea, 90% are undiagnosed. Even if you snore but don’t officially have sleep apnea, you still have a 3 times higher risk of having a car accident."
Here are some more staggering statistics about snoring, sleep apnea and driving:
• 55% of active seniors (70s to 80s) have obstructive sleep apnea
• untreated obstructive sleep apnea leads to reaction times that are as bad as if you are legally drunk in most states
• drowsy driving causes 25% of crashes and near-crashes, while only 2% for alcohol and drugs
• people with untreated sleep apnea are at much higher risk for car accidents if they are sleep deprived or drink alcohol
Dr. Park is the author of the book, Sleep, Interrupted:
