Sleep apnea often goes untreated because it doesn’t look the way most people expect it to. Many imagine loud, disruptive snoring or dramatic gasping in the middle of the night. For many others, though, the condition is far quieter, hiding in plain sight within everyday life.
Researchers estimate roughly 30 million Americans have sleep apnea, yet as many as 80 percent of cases go undiagnosed. Part of the problem is practical. “Primary care visits are usually short, and sleep medicine is still a relatively young specialty,” says Douglas Liepert, M.D., a double-board-certified ENT and sleep medicine specialist at ADVENT in South Bend, Indiana.
But there’s also a psychological reason sleep apnea flies under the radar: People adapt. “Many people with sleep apnea have had their symptoms for such a long time that they may not realize what’s abnormal,” adds Jordan Weiner, M.D., a board-certified otolaryngologist and president of Valley ENT in Scottsdale, Arizona…