sleep apnea?

[screennamie]

I don't know if I'm even spelling it right. My brothers doctor wants him to take a sleep apnea test where its basically a sleep study and they decide if thats what's waking him up or keeping him from being well rested. He wants to become an air marshal and has told me that they require a medical.

I have no idea what he's talking about because I already have a first class medical. I thought they were just fed's posing as passengers. I didn't know they even needed a medical.

I told him to just call and ask my AME but he wont do it. Is sleep apnea a disqualifying condition? forgive the spelling if I've slaughtered it.

[youngflyer]

https://aviationmedicine.com/article...e&articleID=54
Hope that helps about the sleep apnea. I really dont think air marshalls need a medical but I may be wrong.

[My Flight Surgeon]

You can get a Special Issuance for sleep apnea. The condition is DQ under the regs but like so many things, the FAA will do a SI if you have a sleep study with polysomnogram and submit all of the data to them.

Their guidance is "Submit all pertinent medical information and current status report. Include sleep study with a polysomnogram, use of medications and titration study results". I have several guys who have an SI for this.

[screennamie]

Thanks, I'll let him know what to do. That's if he decides to take the test now.

Originally Posted by youngflyer

https://aviationmedicine.com/article...e&articleID=54
Hope that helps about the sleep apnea. I really dont think air marshalls need a medical but I may be wrong.

That's what I thought. I was like your just gonna sit on the plane with a gun, not fly it.

[Itchy]

It is my understanding from someone who worked in a sleep lab, that they are pretty fast and loose with that diagnoses. To some degree, everyone has a little bit? Anyway-

I would not step foot in a sleep lab unless I had a SERIOUS problem.

But maybe that is just me...

[My Flight Surgeon]

Originally Posted by Itchy

It is my understanding from someone who worked in a sleep lab, that they are pretty fast and loose with that diagnoses. To some degree, everyone has a little bit? Anyway-

I would not step foot in a sleep lab unless I had a SERIOUS problem.

But maybe that is just me...

If you have sleep apnea, the FAA will not give you a medical without a sleep study. The fast & loose may be true but the FAA actually does their own interpretation of the studies and is very pro-pilot in granting medicals for this condition.

[Hacker15e]

Originally Posted by Itchy

It is my understanding from someone who worked in a sleep lab, that they are pretty fast and loose with that diagnoses. To some degree, everyone has a little bit? Anyway-

I would not step foot in a sleep lab unless I had a SERIOUS problem.

But maybe that is just me...

I think you're correct in thinking that sleep studies aren't black and white. There is a big level of interpretation, and a lot of it has to do with YOUR self-reported symptoms.

In one sleep study I participated in, the doc's report listed literally a dozen "possible" problems I might have...it caused a hell of a problem with my military medical.

The difference seems to be that civil (and non-aviation) doctors apparently WANT to find something wrong with you, where a flight doc will seek only to keep you flying.

Now, all that being said...

Apnea is a SERIOUS problem. I didn't know how big of a problem until I had it diagnosed and, more importantly, surgically fixed. The quality of life difference is well worth the pain spent getting it diagnosed, losing my military medical, and getting it fixed.

Don't let the fear of possible unknowns about the process keep you from seeking help.