Air Pollution and Sleep Apnea

Researchers have long suspected a link between poor air quality and disordered breathing. A new study came out in June in which Harvard researchers claim to have discovered an actual scientific link between sleep apnea and pollutants in the air.
 
Up to 12 million Americans suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). This means that their breathing becomes excessively labored or even stops during sleep. This can cause a number of problems including decreased thought processing capabilities and physical discomfort. Antonella Zanobetti, PhD, a researcher at the Harvard School of Public Health says that the link between air pollution and sleep apnea is more than just a suspicion. “With this study, we found that air pollution also increases the risk of poor sleep.” The full text version of the study is published online in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
 
Zanobetti and her fellow researchers gathered data from a 1995-1998 sleep study called the Sleep Heart Health Study which studied the link between cardiovascular disease and poor sleep patterns in over 6,000 patients. For the air pollution study, researchers studied 3,000 of those original participants and linked their sleep habits with air pollution reports from seven American cities: Framingham, Mass., Minneapolis, Minn., New York, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Sacramento, Calif., and Tucson, Ariz.
 
Studies found that seasonal variations in air pollution created the largest amount of sleep problems in the study participants. Particles in the air are increased during summer months and when they are inhaled by OSA patients, their airways can become restricted and breathing labored. It is not known whether particles actually affect airways directly or if they travel directly to the brain and cause motor related body malfunctions.
 

If you suffer from OSA or other sleep related disorders, there are a number of things you can do during the summer months to help regulate your breathing. First, it is important that you live in an air conditioned environment. Cool, filtered air is much better for your lungs and airways than humid, particle filled summer air. Secondly, you might consider purchasing a room air purifier. Lastly, if you suffer from severe OSA, consider using Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy at night.