All in a Good Night’s Sleep

Vicki, a 47-year-old female, is one of the almost 22 million Americans who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). OSA is caused by soft tissue at the back of the throat blocking the airway. The most common symptom is loud snoring.

Vicki says that she’s always been a loud snorer. But eventually what seemed like harmless snoring turned into something much worse. She began falling asleep quickly and at inappropriate times.

OSA is known to cause disrupted sleep, extreme tiredness, and can lead to a variety of life-threatening health problems. Vicki fell asleep with a glass of milk in her hand, only waking when it spilled in her lap. She also fell asleep while cleaning her rabbit’s cage, waking four hours later on the floor. She could hardly stay awake while driving, and she would often fall asleep during meetings. During this time, she gained weight, and her blood pressure rose.

Once she got a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine, she began sleeping better at night. She began to lose weight. Her focus improved. Her blood pressure became manageable.

Although Vicki was never aware of what happened when she slept, the techs at the sleep lab explained it to her. Her body would undergo a “life and death struggle” more than 90 times every hour. Despite her exhaustion every night, she would fight to stay awake. She explained that it was as if her subconscious didn’t want her to sleep.

It’s important that people who have OSA get the proper treatment. CPAP therapy reduces many of the health complications that go along with OSA. In addition, Vicki and others like her are less likely to endanger themselves or others while participating in day-to-day activities such as driving. 

Unfortunately, patients are struggling to find suppliers to provide CPAPs and other necessary medical equipment. Click here to find out more about how access to CPAP therapy and other medical equipment is being threatened.

To help protect access to CPAP for millions of Americans like Vicki—as well as other necessary medical equipment such as wheelchairs, oxygen equipment, and diabetes testing supplies—click here.