by Mila McManus MD
Obstructive Sleep Apnea, or OSA, is a serious sleep disorder where a person’s breathing actually stops and resumes while sleeping. STOP-BANG is a mnemonic for determining risk factors for sleep apnea.
If you answer YES to three or more of these questions, you are at high risk for moderate to severe OSA!
S – do you SNORE loudly
T – do you feel TIRED, fatigued, or sleepy during the daytime?
O – has anyone OBSERVED you stop breathing during your sleep?
P – do you have, or are you being treated for, high blood PRESSURE?
B – is your Body Mass Index [BMI] above normal?
A – Age over 50?
N – Neck circumference greater than 15.7 inches?
G – is your Gender male?
Poor sleep quality can undermine all of your hard work with eating better and getting exercise. Furthermore, it puts you at significant risk for other diseases. Poor quality sleep or inadequate sleep, often caused by OSA, is associated with high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack, heart failure or stroke, obesity, depression, reduced immune function, and lower sex drive.
Quality sleep is a foundational need for good health and longevity, along with a healthy diet and exercise. If you answered YES to three or more of the STOP-BANG questions, we cannot emphasize enough the importance of getting a sleep study and a targeted strategy for improving sleep. Ask one of our medical providers to order a sleep study for you and begin creating a successful sleep strategy. Your life and health depend on quality sleep! Making the assumption that you don’t have sleep apnea because you think you sleep well could have tragic consequences.
Be Wise. Be Well. Sleep well.
References:
Chung, F., Yegneswaran, B., Liao, P., Vairavanathan, S., Islam, S., Khajehdehi, A., & Shapiro, C.M. (2008). STOP questionnaire – a tool to screen patients for obstructive sleep apnea. Anesthesiology, 108(5), 812-821.
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/happens-body-dont-get-enough-sleep
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sleep-apnea/symptoms-causes/syc-20377631