Understanding the symptoms of sleep disorders. The tragedy of untreated sleep apnea . The following series of e-mail letters was sent to me by a woman in Virginia who graciously gave me permission to reproduce them on The Sleep Site. Because they illustrate all too vividly what severe, untreated sleep apnea can do to patients and their families.
Sleep apnea is a potentially dangerous condition.
In the absence of effective treatment, it can kill people. The following letters depict a tragedy that almost certainly could have been prevented by timely, appropriate outpatient care. He has fallen asleep on the toilet, on the side of the bed, etc. Guess he will be on the respirator for quite awhile. I do wish that I knew more about it.