Sleep aponea and DVLA

Quentin

alleycat` wrote: »

Sleep deprivation isn't fun and i'm not suggesting it should be taken lightly but if approx. 0.5% of the population is a sufferer to some degree or other (based on American numbers) then it suggests there are a lot of people who shouldn't have a driving license that currently do?

I'm not making light of the situation but it seems somewhat over egged or the term "moderate" has a new meaning of which i'm not aware.

You just seem to be making all your contributions up

As previously posted this is a notifiable condition to the dvla.

Once a doctor has advised you to report a condition to the dvla it will be on record and you do need to comply or face a penalty

But losing your licence is unlikely ( though possible)

alleycat`

I'm not making anything up.

<quote>
In the USA, over 12 million people live with obstructive sleep apnea, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
</quote>

That's "just" obstructive.
It does not include "Central" and "Mixed"

If you add the numbers up as a % of population and equate it out to likely numbers of drivers it's about 0.5% of the population of the USA that can drive.

What i failed to take into consideration is the "mild" and "moderate" are not the same, for which I'll hold my hands up.

I'd consider "moderate" to be a mild form of "anything" and my only mistake is not recognizing that there is a distinction, medically, in this case.

I also wasn't saying they shouldn't notify the DVLA, i was stating my opinion that it's unlikely the DVLA will care outside of making a note.

In the same way my friend has epilepsy and they didn't care "if" he wasn't having regular, or in fact currently "touch wood", any seizures as he's under proper medical care.

So to the OP.

I doubt the DVLA will do anything outside of making a note and requesting you keep them informed should anything change (for the better or worse).

agrinnall

alleycat` wrote: »

I'm not making anything up.

You might not be making it up (although as you don't give a source it's difficult to be sure) but either your maths or your knowledge of USA population size is rubbish.

If 12 million is 0.5% of the population (not just the driving population) then the number of people living in the USA would be 2.4 billion - that's an awful lot of illegal immigrants :cool:.

Population 318,892,103 (July 2014 estimate)

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html

alleycat`

Actually you are correct in as much as i did my numbers very wrong (i guess i meant 5% looking at the numbers).

Source is:-
http://www.sleepassociation.org/index.php?p=sleepapneapublic

Sleep foundation puts the numbers at closer to 18 million but i didn't want to over egg the pudding.

<Quote>
More than 18 million American adults have sleep apnea. It is very difficult at present to estimate the prevalence of childhood OSA because of widely varying monitoring techniques, but a minimum prevalence of 2 to 3% is likely, with prevalence as high as 10 to 20% in habitually snoring children.
</Quote>

My poor maths, If anything, actually re-enforces my point a large swathe of the population are driving in the USA with this medical "complaint" and are not stripped of their license.

teffers

If you have sleep apnea in the UK and are receiving effective treatment you won't be stripped of your normal driving license here either.

Just for clarification the qualifier 'moderate' relates to amount of apnea events per hour someone suffers whilst sleeping.

The point was, if so many people have it, and it's mild, then why do the DVLA need to know about it ?

Well as the condition can worsen with age, weight, narrowing of the airway, even if someone is diagnosed with 'mild' sleep apnea (5-15 events an hour) from a DVLA stand-point, I would imagine they want to know in case the condition worsens (which is a very real risk). Everyone can have a different reaction to 5-15 apneas an hour, it can still cause a lot of tiredness even if it's in the mild category.

If you've been diagnosed with sleep apnea then it's highly likely as a result of something symptomatic or causing you an issue.

Tiredness causes a lot of accidents, sleep apnea causes chronic tiredness - that's probably another good reason the DVLA want to know.

I'd much prefer not to have to declare it personally as I'm responsible and in effective treatment, but you have to, so I do.

In reality it doesn't even affect my insurance premiums so once it's declared and you continue to be treated it's not an issue.

chrisw

My wife has it and is treated with a cpap machine. Teffers' experience above is exactly the same as ours, ie letter from dvla to say we've reported it and there are no restrictions, and no impact upon insurance.

So there really is nothing to lose by declaring it and a lot to lose if you don't.

savemoney

I was diagnosed with sleep apnea 2 years ago. I am able to drive as I use a Cpap machine I was monitored as it can record your sleep and the specialist provided a letter to give to DVLA to say I can still drive. DVLA said I am okay. I told my insurance company and they didn't need to see proof as longs as DVLA were happy I can drive confirmed in writing. I go once a year for checkups to hospital. My sleeping and lack of headaches has improved enormously.

Ironically I am up early due to a cold as well oh and wont be driving today. I don't drive a lot anyway

stef73

My GP has never told me not to drive a car or tell dvla, i was only told to not drive a flt until i had it under control as i was a flt driver at time of diagnosis i was signed off for a few weeks.

wazza

Thanks for your replies.