Sleep Apnea Affects Women Too
Snoring isn’t masculine or feminine. It’s the result of an airway obstruction. The stigma that sleep apnea is a male disease is inaccurate, and because it can keep some women from opening up about their symptoms, it’s also harmful. Women suffer from sleep apnea too.
Gender Differences in Sleep Apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has traditionally been seen as a male disease. When most people think about the prototypical sleep apnea sufferer, they think of an older, overweight man. This hypothetical person is at a higher risk for sleep apnea. Factors such as weight can obstruct the airway, age can loosen the soft tissue in the neck and cause snoring, and research has shown differences in the physical structure of the airway between men and women.
Most Sufferers Are Undiagnosed
It’s true that men are diagnosed more, but it isn’t the whole story. Many studies suggest that around 20 percent of the adult population suffers from sleep apnea and of that, 80-90 percent of them are undiagnosed. That’s a striking majority that leaves plenty of room for shifts in the way we understand who is most affected. Just because men are diagnosed more doesn’t necessarily mean they’re affected more just that more doctor’s have officially diagnosed them as having it.
Why Aren’t More Women Diagnosed?
This is the ultimate question and there may be a few potential reasons.
- More men are, in fact, affected by sleep apnea
- Women are resistant to coming forward for fear of being seen as “manly”
- Men and women experience different symptoms, leaving women to be misdiagnosed
There seems to be a connection between theories two and three: the perception of sleep apnea uniquely something men struggle with. This one misconception can spread as more people believe it. It can lead women to write off their symptoms as something else, avoid relaying their symptoms to a doctor, and it can even subconsciously sway doctors to interpret differences in symptom presentation as different conditions.
Sleep Apnea Diagnosis and Treatment
For more information on sleep apnea diagnosis and treatment, call Dr. David Buck’s office at 425-361-7499 to schedule a consultation.
