Treating apnoea cuts accidents
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I A new treatment being tribled for the breathing disorder leeo apnoea could help cut the umber of road accidents.
Sleep apnoea is associated vith men and women who are werweight—sufferers snore wavily and wake up repeatedly luring the night struggling for weath, leading to tiredness durng the day.
The study into the disorder by the University of Western Ontario, Canada, showed that helping sufferers breathe easier at night reduced their accident rate. The technique, called "continuous positive airways pressure", Involves the patients wearing face masks during the night which gently force air into the breathing passage.
Prior to treatment the sleep apnoea patients had three times as many driving accidents as a control group of random patients—following the treatment the accident rate fell to a normal level.
"Patients with untreated sleep apnoea have increased motor vehicle collisions. When successfully treated they report improved driving and fewer mishaps," says researcher Dr Charles George.