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The use of inhaled corticosteroids by those who suffer from asthma could help keep symptoms of asthma under control, but could also increase the risk of sleep apnea. According to a new study, persons who inhale corticosteroids may find that their tongue becomes sloppier during sleep, raising the risk of sleep apnea. These people may therefore be at a much higher risk of feeling sleepy while driving, leading to a drowsy driving accident.
Sleep apnea is a condition that is often linked to fatigued driving, especially among commercial drivers. There are a number of risk factors that contribute to this disorder in which there are respiratory disruptions while the person is sleeping,contributing to disturbed sleep. For instance, obesity is believed to be one of the factors contributing to sleep apnea. Now, doctors believe that persons who suffer from asthma and use corticosteroid inhalers may be at a higher risk of sleep apnea.
Earlier too, researchers have pointed to a possible association between asthma, and sleeping disturbances like sleep apnea, that are often characterized by snoring. However, researchers were not able to completely comprehend how asthma, which is a lung-related condition is linked to sleep apnea, which is a condition linked to the muscles in the throat and the soft palate. When a person suffers from sleep apnea, these muscles of the throat and the soft palate relax, blocking the person’s airways, and causing them to suffer a breathing interruption during sleep.
The researchers monitored the use of corticosteroids for the control of asthma in 18 subjects. They found that when the persons used corticosteroid inhalers, there were differences in the collapsibility of the upper airways, when the person was sleeping. A person who suffers from such respiratory interruptions during sleep, is much more likely to feel drowsy and doze off while driving the next day.
