On the heels of a new study showing 1-in-4 truckers with sleep apnea, “America’s Wellness Doctor” Julian Whitaker, MD suggests they treat themselves for the condition that robs them of good sleep.
Newport Beach, CA. / July 20, 2007 – Responding to the eyebrow raising study by the trucking industry that shows as many as 1-in-4 truckers in the U.S. drive drowsy because they suffer from sleep apnea, “America’s Wellness Doctor” Julian Whitaker, MD recommended today that truckers bypass expensive doctors and begin treating themselves for the condition.
“They’re not just sleepy at night, they’re sleepy and falling asleep all the time at the wheel,” says Dr. Whitaker of the Whitaker Wellness Institute in Newport Beach. “It’s very dangerous to be on the road.”
Sleep apnea is a common condition among men especially. When soft tissue in the back of the throat begins to relax that’s snoring. When that tissue blocks the airway, that’s sleep apnea. It causes gasping and the condition awakens sufferers right as they’re falling into a deep sleep.
Only in rare cases does sleep apnea cause death. But those who have it are constantly drowsy because the condition robs them of a good night’s sleep.
Eight years ago, tests showed Dr. Whitaker himself had sleep apnea.
And he immediately started using a CPAP device.
The CPAP (Continues Positive Airway Pressure) machine blows pressurized air into his airway at night through a small mask he wears over his nose. The machine prevents the soft tissues in his throat from collapsing so he can fall into a deep sleep without gasping for air.
“I don’t get sleepy at the office and I don’t get sleepy while driving,” Whitaker says.
Though he went through a host of sleep tests to be diagnosed, he says it wasn’t necessary. He recommends to truckers and others to save the money and self-diagnose.
“You could do your own sleep test for the cost of a timer and cassette tape,” says Dr. Whitaker. Just put it on a timer, and have it go off at about 2 a.m. If you record yourself snoring and gasping, you have it. What next?
“Go to Ebay and buy a sleep apnea CPAP machine, put it on neutral setting and use it.”
Dr. Whitaker says expensive medical tests are a waste and prevent many people from getting help.
“The medical profession is standing in the way of elimination of the problem by creating all these medical barriers to getting what someone knows is absolutely effective, good treatment for this condition.”
About Julian Whitaker, MD: America's Wellness Doctor, Julian Whitaker, MD, is a pioneer in complementary medicine. In 1979, he opened the Whitaker Wellness Institute in Newport Beach, CA, and has used nutrition, supplements, and other unconventional therapies to treat and reverse serious health problems in more than 40,000 patients.
About The Freedom of Health Foundation: The Foundation is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to protecting consumers’ access to nutritional supplements and freedom of choice in the medical arena.