By Bob Dorn, Publisher
Sleep apnea is something with which I am familiar since a close family member was diagnosed with the condition several months ago. Prior to the diagnosis, I never really thought it was as dangerous as it turns out to be. And now, I have learned that this condition is very prevalent among truck drivers.
What is sleep apnea? According to Precision Pulmonary Diagnos-tics, a firm that specializes in the identifying and treating truck drivers for the sleep apnea disorder, it is defined as the cessation of breathing during sleep. Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common form that causes tissues in the back of the throat to repetitively collapse during sleep.
What is very disconcerting about the condition is that it causes numerous and dangerous side effects –– daytime fatigue and sleepiness, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and stroke. This list of side effects is not to be taken lightly. Even more disconcerting is that 28 percent of commercial truck drivers have some form of sleep apnea compared to 4 percent of the general public, according to Dr. Mark Berger, president of Precision Pulmonary Diagnostics.
Dr. Berger has been working with Schneider National in identifying and treating drivers with sleep apnea. The treatment can be done in the truck by using a very compact device called a CPAP machine during sleep each night. CPAP is an acronym for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure.
The benefits for the individual and the fleet are enormous. The drivers begin their path to a life of prevention and better health. Remember all of the side effects listed previously? The treatment helps to control these.
In addition, to better health for the driver, the company benefits with increased productivity and reduced health care costs. According to PPD, companies can save an average of $537.86 per month per driver. That is a substantial amount of money and doesn’t even count the avoidance of driver-fatigue accidents that can run into the millions of dollars per incident.
Just because the percentage of drivers with sleep apnea is higher than the normal population, that doesn’t mean that you should ignore the rest of the company employees. Just think how you could help prevent serious health issues, increase employee productivity and reduce your health care costs. From drivers to technicians, the condition exists. Why not look at all of our employees? Talk about a win/win situation!