Undiagnosed Sleep Apnea Caused 2 NYC Train Crashes

Undiagnosed Sleep Apnea Caused 2 NYC Train Crashes. Could You Have Sleep Apnea, Too?

John Young Of Monmouth And Ocean County Informs His Patients On The Negative Effects Of Not Treating Sleep Apnea.

Undiagnosed sleep apnea was recently cited as a probable cause in the crash of two New York City commuter trains.

The engineers, who were diagnosed after the crashes, had no memory of the events that killed one person and injured more than 200 others. The National Transportation Safety Board reported that sleep apnea is a probable cause of 10 other highway and rail accidents in the last 17 years, according to the Associated Press.

Sleep apnea is a chronic disorder in which breathing can pause during sleep for a few seconds to minutes — it can happen 30 times or more an hour. The disorder often goes undiagnosed because it cannot be detected during routine doctor visits or by a blood test.

Sleep apnea increases the risk of high blood pressure, stroke, obesity, and diabetes, and is also associated with irregular heartbeats and heart failure. It increases the chances of having a work-related or driving accident, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI).

So, how do you know if you have it?

Excessive daytime sleepiness resulting from a poor night’s sleep is a common symptom. A family member may also notice snoring, snorting, or choking sounds, which are among the first signs, NHLBI reported. Other signs of the disorder include…

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