ROLLING down your window or turning your radio up to stay alert while driving could be signs of obstructive sleep apnoea, a study shows.
Drinking tea or coffee or singing to stay alert behind the wheel could also suggest you suffer the deadly snoring disease, researchers found.
GettyTired sleepy Asian woman yawning during driving car[/caption]
It could mean they are more likely to have an accident while driving, as well as suffering problems from the medical condition more broadly, they said.
Dr Akshay Dwarakanath, of St James’s University Hospital in Leeds, said: “Up to one fifth of collisions on the road may be caused by fatigue or sleepiness.
“Many OSA patients drive either for personal or for professional reasons and there is good evidence to suggest that some patients are at increased risk of collisions on the road.”
Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a sleeping disorder that is thought to affect around 1.5million Brits, according to Asthma + Lung UK.
It causes people’s breathing to stop and start while they sleep, which can lead to loud snoring, making gasping, snorting or choking noises and waking up a lot.
During the day, it can make you feel very tired and cause mood swings, headaches and difficulties with concentration.
The latest study, published in ERJ Open Research, looked at how the condition affects people’s driving habits.
Researchers compared 119 people with OSA who had not started treatment yet to 105 people who did not have the condition.
They were asked about their sleepiness in general, sleepiness while driving, any strategies they used to stay alert while driving and any history of driving incidents, like collisions.
Up to a third of OSA sufferers used at least three strategies to stay awake behind the wheel, compared to none of those without the condition.
The strategies also included shifting positions in the seat, chewing gum or eating, stopping for a walk, fidgeting or exercising, stopping for a nap and stopping to wash their face in cold water.
Dr Dwarakanath said: “Doctors are often asked to make recommendations about their patient’s fitness to drive.
“This can be challenging as it can have major implications on a patient’s livelihood, particularly if they are a professional driver.
“However, there is a duty of care on doctors to discourage patients from driving if they are at high risk of causing a collision.”
He added: “Our research suggests that untreated OSA patients often use coping strategies that could be surrogate markers of sleepiness.
“Asking about these strategies in the clinic may help doctors identify patients who are at risk of driving incidents and to advise appropriately.”
The 10 driving strategies to stay awake used by people with obstructive sleep apnoea
Opening the window.
Drinking tea or coffee
Turning up the radio
Singing or talking to themselves
Shifting positions in the seat
Chewing gum or eating
Stopping for a walk
Fidgeting or exercising
Stopping for a nap
Stopping to wash their face in cold water
What are the symptoms of sleep apnoea?
Symptoms of sleep apnoea mainly happen while you sleep.
They include:
breathing stopping and starting
making gasping, snorting or choking noises
waking up a lot
loud snoring
During the day, you may also:
feel very tired
find it hard to concentrate
have mood swings
have a headache when you wake up
Source: The NHS