The death of NFL legend Reggie White has been linked to Obstructive Sleep Apnea. This disorder afflicts about 3% of the United States population and is recognized by brief periods of interruptions of breathing throughout the night. Sufferers will typically stop breathing for periods of 10 to 30 seconds and can expect the interruptions to occur several hundred times each night. The cause of Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a blockage of the trachea caused by fatty tissue in the throat, the uvula, the tonsils, or even one’s tongue.
At the time of his retirement, Reggie White was the NFL’s all-time sacks leader. During his 15 year NFL career the “Minister of Defense”, as White was known, played for 3 teams, won one Super Bowl, was selected to the Pro-Bowl 13 times, and was twice named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year. In addition to being selected to the NFL’s 75th Anniversary All-Time Team, White was named to the NFL All-Decade teams for both the 80’s and 90’s.
On December 26, 2004 Reggie White suffered a fatal cardiac arrhythmia. The combination of cardiac and pulmonary sarcoidosis, and sleep apnea that White suffered from, most likely contributed to his heart attack. Sleep Apnea itself does not cause death, what it does it contribute to diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure, all disorders that can cause death. White’s widow, Sara White has recently begun a campaign to educate people about sleep apnea and encouraging people to get screened. The Reggie White Sleep Disorder Foundation now exists to serve this purpose.
It is believed that up to 95% of those suffering from Obstructive Sleep Apnea are unaware of their condition. Most married men that are diagnosed with sleep apnea end up in a sleep clinic at the urging of a spouse that is tired of throwing elbows throughout the night to get their husband to stop snoring. Single men, women, and children often let the condition persist undiagnosed and unnoticed except for the typical sleep apnea symptoms like daytime sleepiness.
If you feel like you aren’t getting good sleep, or just suspect that you may be suffering from sleep apnea you should talk to your physician about conducting a sleep study. As you can see from the death of Reggie White, obstructive sleep apnea is a serious condition that should not be ignored and is easily treated and managed.
