Percy Harvin, the Minnesota Vikings wide receiver who collapsed during practice August 19, has received a positive diagnosis of sleep apnea, according to statements he made in a recent interview. Harvin--a promising young receiver--has long been plagued with migraines during his entire career. To combat these migraines, he was given a number of powerful medications. However, it turns out that his medications may have caused as many problems as they solved--they may even have caused his collapse and subsequent brief periods when his heart stopped beating.
Sleep apnea symptoms include such a wide array of problems, ranging from personality changes to heart failure to car accidents, that it is often mistaken for other illnesses, as was the case for Harvin. Misdiagnosed illnesses can lead to inappropriate treatments that cause significant side effects and may be as bad as the original problems. However, with appropriate treatment, sleep apnea patients can see renewed life and improved health.
Harvin has been prescribed CPAP treatment, and hopefully he is one of the 25% of patients who acclimate well to the highly-effective treatment. If not, perhaps oral appliance therapy may give him relief.
If you have a number of unexplained symptoms, including daytime sleepiness and headaches, you may have sleep apnea. To learn more about sleep apnea options, contact a sleep dentist today.