Sleep apnea is also a risk factor for systemic hypertension, pulmonary hypertension, stroke, and heart disease. Surgery is more dangerous for patients with undiagnosed sleep apnea, because they may stop breathing while under anesthesia. Primary care physicians can make a preliminary diagnosis of sleep apnea by asking patients a few questions. The combination of snoring and a large collar size indicates an especially high likelihood of sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea should also be suspected in patients who are obese and in those with receding chins, as both of these conditions are associated with soft-tissue compression of the airway during sleep.
Fatigue can be a possible symptom of sleep apnea in perimenopausal women.
In research carried out at the sleep center, Schwab has used MRI to compare soft tissue measurements in overweight patients with Other Sleep Disorders Treated at Penn Narcolepsy. The cause of this disorder is unknown, but it has been suggested that the normal brain mechanism that prevents movement during dreams is cued inappropriately during waking. Narcolepsy is treated with stimulant medications. Patients who walk in their sleep risk injury from falling out of windows, leaving the house, and occasionally even handling a weapon or attempting to drive. Sleepwalking usually occurs in adolescence, and most patients outgrow it.