Percy Harvin Sidelined Again with Migraines

After a 0-2 start to the season, things are looking bleaker by the day for the Minnesota Vikings. 40-year-old Quarterback Brett Favre is showing his age, and his primary target Sidney Rice won’t catch a pass until at least November.

The latest let-down involves the feel-good story of the NFL’s season opener. NBC’s Andrea Kremer reported mid-game that Percy Harvin found the cure for debilitating migraines. The athletic wide-receiver had sleep apnea and didn’t know it.

Harvin was diagnosed after collapsing on the field during practice last month. Numerous reports claimed CPAP treatment would solve the chronic migraines that plagued him since childhood. Harvin would be a whole new player capable of living up to his sky-high potential.

Then the news broke Wednesday that the 2008 first-round pick and future franchise wide receiver did not participate in team practice because of migraines.

Harvin’s health issues are huge blow for the Vikings, who have scored only 19 points over the first two regular season games.

Currently, it’s not entirely clear why the migraines have returned. There are two likely possibilities:

a) Harvin didn’t sleep with CPAP previous to practice

b) Something other than sleep apnea is causing the migraines

It’s disappointing that Harvin is having migraines again, but the sleep apnea diagnosis is a huge step forward for his health. After all, treatment can save his life.

Harvin’s doctors are more than likely re-evaluating his health. The Sleep Education Blog will continue to follow any developments. Look for breaking updates on Twitter: www.twitter.com/aasmorg

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Vikings Receiver Harvin’s Health Woes Stem from Sleep Apnea

At 5’11’’, 184 lbs of solid muscle and the ability to complete the 40 yard dash in less than 4.4 seconds Percy Harvin, the explosive wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings, doesn’t have the obvious warning signs of obstructive sleep apnea that NFL coaches and trainers can easily identify. Most players in the league who’ve been diagnosed with the sleep disorder have massive bodies with excess weight, like Mario Williams or Antwan Odom.

Entering his second season in the NFL, Percy Harvin’s was considered a talented player who may never reach his potential because of chronic health concerns caused by undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea. Debilitating migraines have plagued him for his entire life. This year the painful condition kept him from practicing with the team in the preseason, prompting concerns of an early end to his NFL career.

When he finally stepped on the practice field he collapsed in a matter of minutes. His heart stopped beating for ten seconds. Harvin told NBC’s Andrea Kremer that his migraine medication led to the collapse. Strangely, this scary episode may have been the luckiest thing that ever happened to him.

Doctors at the hospital that day suspected he wasn’t getting enough oxygen when he slept. Four days later an overnight sleep study confirmed he had obstructive sleep apnea, which doctors believe triggered the migraines.

Harvin is now the proud user of CPAP, a machine that can save his career and his life. He even brings it on the road for away games.

After a long stretch of missed practices and preseason games Harvin saw regular action Thursday night in the NFL season opener against the New Orleans Saints. He only caught one pass for 12 yards in the 9-14 loss.

Despite a disappointing opening game, Harvin is past his migraines and back on track to become one of the league’s marquee receivers all thanks to one little machine he keeps at his bedside.

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Ravens Rookie Linebacker Kindle Fractures Skull, Narcolepsy to Blame?

Speculation is rampant after the Baltimore Raven’s first pick in the 2010 NFL draft suffered a bizarre off -field injury earlier this week. Rookie linebacker Sergio Kindle will miss training camp after fracturing his skull by falling down two flights of stairs. Numerous media outlets are linking the fall to narcolepsy. A sleep specialist might respond to these reports with a healthy dose of skepticism.

The original report came from Raven’s coach John Harbaugh. He said the fall happened when Kindle turned the wrong way after waking up in the middle of the night at a friend’s home. The linebacker’s college coach Mack Brown responded with speculation that narcolepsy led to teh incident.

Here’s the problem, a person with the type of narcolepsy that could cause a falling injury would be incapable of playing sports, let alone professional football. Narcolepsy with cataplexy causes a person who is awake to suddenly lose muscle tone. These episodes are usually triggered as a response to strong emotions such as surprise or happiness.

Wouldn’t football cause a near constant narcoleptic response based on the sport’s violent and emotional nature? What happens when a linebacker is suddenly blindsided by an offensive guard’s block? A person with narcolepsy with cataplexy would be unlikely to last more than a few plays before collapsing.

And why would a team draft a player with the condition? Kindle fell from the first round of the NFL draft, as he was originally projected. But scouts did not seem concerned with reports claiming Kindle had narcolepsy. Knee injuries and character problems caused the draft day slide. A high level Raven’s scout said the team would have never drafted Kindle if narcolepsy was such a problem.

You may remember the Sleep Education Blog covered that story earlier this year. Kindle reportedly couldn’t stay awake in team meetings when he was with the Texas Longhorns. The same reports mentioned Kindle struggled with substance abuse.

It’s impossible to say what happened in the middle of the night earlier this week, but based on medical knowledge and past reports it’s safe to say narcolepsy with cataplexy did not cause Kindle to fall down stairs and fracture his skull. Hopefully we will learn the true cause of the injury as the story unfolds.

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Houston Texans coach attributes sleep apnea treatment for Mario Williams’ weight loss

Word is getting out on NFL rosters about the benefits of identifying and treating obstructive sleep apnea.

Mario Williams, the Houston Texans star defensive linemen, appeared this week at the teams first organized team activity 10 pounds lighter, according to an article on the team’s website.

Head coach Gary Kubiak said he thinks the former first overall draft pick lost weight because he had surgery for sleep apnea about a month ago.

He mentioned offensive lineman Antoine Caldwell also recently had the same treatment.

Kubiak speaks with familiarity on the topic; he also had surgery for sleep apnea this offseason.

NFL players are more likely to have sleep apnea than other men their age. The bulkiest positions, offensive and defensive linemen, are at the highest risk to develop the sleep disorder.

The death of retired Green Bay Packer Reggie White raised the league’s awareness of sleep apnea. Reports indicate the disorder may have played a role in the 43-year-old’s death.

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Projected first-round NFL draft pick has narcolepsy?

Pro football scouts are taking a hard look at outside linebacker Sergio Kindle in the hours leading up to tonight’s NFL draft. The impact pass rusher made a splash at University of Texas, recording 55 tackles including six sacks in 2009, but some teams may pass on Kindle because of his problems off the field. Some of those issues are due to his reported struggles with narcolepsy.

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel’s Bob McGinn reports Kindle would fall asleep in team meetings, leaving his college coaches wondering what was wrong with him.

Several unnamed sources told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that Kindle is now taking medication to control his narcolepsy and attention deficit disorder.

His problems don’t stop there:

“In 2007, Kindle was arrested for drunken driving and suspended three games. His license was suspended, he attended mandatory Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and he performed 60 hours of community service.
Last June, Kindle suffered a concussion when the car he was driving in Austin, Texas, slammed into an apartment building. He didn't report the incident to police until the next morning.
At the combine, Kindle said the accident occurred because he was texting. Also at the combine, he told the Journal Sentinel that he no longer used alcohol.”

Some experts project Kindle to go as high as 12th overall tonight. The NFL draft airs tonight on ESPN.

People with narcolepsy tend to have excessive daytime sleepiness. Frequent naps are common. And sudden, irresistible “sleep attacks” may occur in unusual situations.

Learn more about narcolepsy. Read a narcolepsy case study on SleepEducation.com.

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Gary Kubiak: Sleep Apnea, Surgery & the NFL

Houston Texans head coach Gary Kubiak is receiving surgical treatment for obstructive sleep apnea.

Nose surgery was performed yesterday, reports The Houston Chronicle. In six weeks another procedure will be performed on his throat.

Sleep apnea is a common problem in the NFL. Last year the Sleep Education Blog reported that OSA is common in retired NFL players. The NFL and the NFL Players Association previously began working together to target heart disease and sleep apnea in retired players.

And a 2003 study of 302 NFL players found that they are more likely to have sleep apnea than other men their age. The risk was highest for offensive and defensive linemen.

Although Kubiak is a retired NFL player, he wasn’t a lineman. He was a back-up quarterback for the Denver Broncos from 1983 to 1991. Kubiak threw 14 touchdown passes in limited playing time behind John Elway, a 2004 inductee in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

And the 48-year-old Kubiak isn’t obese. He is listed at 6 feet, 192 pounds. This gives him a body mass index (BMI) of 26, which means he is slightly overweight.

His case is a good reminder that OSA can occur in men and women of all body types. It also can occur in children.

Excess body weight is the major predisposing factor for obstructive sleep apnea. But OSA also occurs in people who maintain a healthy weight. A study presented at SLEEP 2009 found a high rate of sleep apnea in non-obese adults.

The AASM reports that CPAP therapy is the treatment of choice for all severity levels of OSA. A surgical procedure is an alternative treatment option for some people with sleep apnea.

It may be required to correct a physical abnormality. It also may be performed if you are unable to have success with CPAP or an oral appliance.

Surgical procedures tend to be “site-specific;” they will seek to eliminate the cause of the obstruction. Problem areas related to OSA include the tonsils, tongue, soft palate, throat, jaw and nose.

In Kubiak’s case, septoplasty may have been performed on his nose to straighten a bent septum. Or he may have had turbinate reduction to reduce or remove large turbinates and polyps from the nasal passage.

His upcoming surgery may involve the removal of soft tissue from the throat. This tissue can collapse and block the airway during sleep.

Are you at risk for sleep apnea? STOP and find out. You also can answer these questions on SleepEducation.com to learn more about your risk. Get help for sleep apnea at an AASM-accredited sleep center near you.

Read more about OSA and surgery.

Image by Brit

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Gaines Adams’ Death: Heart Problems & Sleep Apnea in the NFL

The death of Chicago Bears player Gaines Adams has focused attention on heart problems in athletes. The 26-year-old Adams died Sunday morning. The coroner’s report indicates that he died from cardiac arrest due to an enlarged heart.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that the hearts of healthy athletes tend to be bigger and thicker than normal. So it can be hard to determine if a heart problem is present.

SI.com notes that in athletes the heart chambers tend to enlarge. The heart walls are likely to thicken when disease is present. But there can be a “troubling gray area” when both the chambers and walls are mildly enlarged.



It is well known that obstructive sleep apnea is a risk factor for heart disease. A scientific statement published in 2008 urged doctors to pay attention to the link between the two conditions.

There have been no reports that Adams had sleep apnea. But could OSA have contributed to his heart problems?

Dr. Steven Park raised the question on his Sleep Apnea Blog. He noted that the build of Adams’ body put him at risk for OSA.

“There are many reasons for an enlarged heart but one major risk factor Adams had was his build,” Park wrote. “Just like many NFL players, he had large neck muscles that probably pressed on his upper airway.”

Adams’ death also caught the attention of Steve Gardner. He is the executive director of the Reggie White Sleep Disorders Research & Education Foundation.

“It is possible that sleep apnea played a role in his untimely death,” Gardner wrote on the Sleep Well and Live Blog. “We’ve seen it before… Sadly, we will see it again. We may have just seen it in the case of Gaines Adams.”

Retired NFL star Reggie White died in 2004 at the age of 43. Reports indicate that sleep apnea may have played a role in his death.

Studies have shown that sleep apnea is a problem in the NFL. Last year the Sleep Education Blog reported that OSA is common in retired NFL players.

And a 2003 study of 302 NFL players found that they are more likely to have sleep apnea than other men their age. The risk was highest for offensive and defensive linemen.

NFL officials have taken notice of the problem. In 2007 the NFL and the NFL Players Association began working together to target heart disease and sleep apnea in retired players.

The most common treatment for OSA is CPAP therapy. On SleepEducation.com you can learn how CPAP helps the heart.

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Steelers Tell Fans About Sleep Apnea

On Tuesday night some players from the Pittsburgh Steelers went to a local mall to tell holiday shoppers about obstructive sleep apnea.

They signed autographs and talked about the warning signs for OSA. While waiting in the autograph line fans could complete a brief assessment to see if they might be at risk for sleep apnea.

Steelers cornerback Deshea Townsend took the assessment himself. After the season ends he plans to go to a sleep disorders center for an overnight sleep study.

At 5 feet 10 inches and 190 pounds, Townsend doesn’t fit the profile of the typical sleep apnea patient.

"A lot of people also think you have to be a certain size, you have to be overweight,” he said to WTAE Channel 4 in Pittsburgh. “But as you can tell, I am not one of those big guys that looks overweight."

Overweight men do have a high risk of OSA. But sleep apnea also occurs in women and children, and in people who maintain a healthy weight. A study presented in June at SLEEP 2009 found a high rate of sleep apnea in non-obese adults.

Tuesday’s event was organized by Mike Thompson. He is the general manager of the local ESPN radio station.

Thompson suffers from sleep apnea and uses CPAP therapy. He said that the benefits of CPAP have been extraordinary.

“I have more energy, more vitality,” he said. “My blood pressure - despite my size - is normal. Since 1992, it changed my life."

The death in 2004 of retired NFL star Reggie White focused attention on sleep apnea and the NFL. White died at the age of 43. Reports indicate that sleep apnea may have played a role in his death.

In 2007 the NFL and the NFL Players Association began working together to target heart disease and sleep apnea in retired players. In March the Sleep Education Blog reported that OSA is common in retired NFL players.

Are you at risk for sleep apnea? STOP and find out. You also can answer these questions on SleepEducation.com to learn more about your risk.

Get help for sleep apnea at an AASM-accredited sleep center near you.

Image by wstera2

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