Carrie Fisher’s Death Connected to Sleep Apnea

Last year was marked by many beloved celebrities leaving us, and right when the world thought we had made it through, Carrie Fisher passed away on December 27^th. According to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office, sleep apnea was definitely a factor in her death, contributing to cardiac arrest. Sleep apnea is a very serious disorder, and while most symptoms like snoring and exhaustion aren’t fatal, ultimately it can take someone’s life. The key to avoiding this is getting the appropriate treatment, and it all starts with recognizing the early signs of sleep apnea.

The Signs of Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a condition where a person experiences brief lapses in breathing while they are asleep. Most often, this is caused by the soft tissues in the mouth and throat relaxing into the airway, completely blocking it. As a reaction, the body panics and wakes up in order to restore breathing. This pattern can occur hundreds of times a night, and it prevents a person from getting the deep, restful sleep they need to feel energized during the day. It can also cause a person to have extremely high blood pressure, which among other things, is a leading risk factor for cardiac arrest, as was the case with Fisher.

Some common symptoms of sleep apnea include:

• Loud, chronic snoring
• Waking up gasping or out of breath
• Persistent daytime exhaustion
• Morning headaches or sore throats
• Weight gain or trouble losing weight
• Trouble focusing and remembering
• Mood swings/depression

Fisher notably suffered from mental health problems all throughout her life, and while not the cause, sleep apnea could have easily made her condition much worse.

What to Do About Sleep Apnea

If you or a loved one are exhibiting any of these signs, there are a few ways you can get treatment. The first step is to get a proper diagnosis, which you can do by:

• Talking to your family doctor, and they will recommend you to a sleep doctor who can help you get sleep testing in Vero Beach.
• Taking our short online sleep test. It is only 8 “Yes or No” questions, and after you have completed it, we will evaluate your answers and contact you within 24 hours with advice on what you should do next.

After you have a sleep test performed, a sleep doctor will determine whether or not you have sleep apnea. If you do, they can then recommend treatment, which may involve CPAP therapy or oral appliance therapy.

Final Thoughts

The world will miss Carrie Fisher, but her legacy lives on in the many movies she made during her lifetime, and she presents the perfect example of just how dangerous untreated sleep apnea can really be. If you or a loved one are suffering from it, please take action as soon as you can. You’ll not only improve your sleep quality, but you may just be saving your life.

About the Author

Dr. Kenneth Mogell is a board-certified sleep dentist based in Vero Beach, FL. For over 30 years, he has been able to successfully treat sleep apnea patients using a viable CPAP alternative in Vero Beach, oral appliance therapy. To learn more about what you’ve just read and what you can do about sleep apnea, he can be contacted through his website.