If you have a spinal cord injury and experience fatigue, there’s a chance you suffer from sleep apnea (periods of not breathing during sleep). Tetraplegics have many potential risk factors for this syndrome, including increased neck size, longer sleep periods spent on their backs, a tendency to obesity, and the use of baclofen.

Studies documented in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation suggest it’s something you should look for if you’re a post-traumatic tetraplegic and exhibit symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea (slow, shallow breathing) syndrome or OSAHS. And, again, the factors frequently contributing to this serious condition are high body mass index (BMI), obesity, and large neck size.

If you have a cervical spinal cord injury, OSAHS could be at the root of problems associated with tiredness and daytime drowsiness. It’s a potential problem that needs to be carefully assessed. If you have concerns, it’s important to discuss your symptoms with your physician.

For further information: “Estimated Prevalence of Obstructive Sleep Apnea–Hypopnea Syndrome after Cervical Cord Injury, “ Bernard E. Leduc, Jehan H. Dagher, Pierre Mayer, Francois Bellemare, and Yves Lepage, Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, vol. 88, March 2007.