If you’re suffering from sleep problems, you’re certainly not alone. Even famous personalities have admitted to battling with sleep-related issues, shedding light on these health matters. Case in point: actor David Licauco revealed that he’s suffering from sleep apnea, and it sometimes even affects his work as an actor.
"It's been my insecurity since it started when I was 16 years old," he confessed. "It's been 11 years. When I wake up the next day, I'm in a bad mood. So, yung mga nasungitan ko, alam na siguro kung bakit."
ALSO READ: David Licauco Thinks That Being 'Super Gwapo' Is Not A Sure Way To Showbiz Success
What is sleep apnea?
According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, sleep apnea is a common condition in which breathing stops and restarts many times while you sleep. This can prevent your body from getting enough oxygen. Symptoms include snoring and gasping for breath in one's sleep. Untreated, sleep apnea could increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, and heart failure.
Grace Pien, a sleep specialist with Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, said that women, particularly older ones, have a greater chance of never being diagnosed with sleep apnea — and never being treated for it.
Aside from David, other celebrities are also reported to have suffered from the same condition, including NBA star Shaquille O'Neal and the late Carrie Fisher.
David undergoes operation for his sleep apnea
In an interview at the recently concluded press conference of G! LU, David spoke up about getting an operation to treat his condition. "Sa April 30, may operation ako sa sleep apnea ko. Sana gumaling, di ba? Kasi hirap na hirap na ako, e," he said.
He explained, "Yung sa akin, ang gagawin lang parang radio frequency. Parang susunugin yata yung part ng nose ko sa loob. So, para mas may malaking airway, di ba, yung breathing room ko."
He also said that the recovery time for the operation is short: "Kasi before, ang alam ko kasi, yung operation, dapat talagang one month yung recovery. When I got myself checked up siguro a week before I left for Canada, sinabi na meron palang procedure na ano lang, puwedeng 15 minutes lang yung procedure. Tapos yung down time, one day lang. Pero kasi, RF [radio frequency] yun. So, yun ang gagawin ko."
He added, jokingly: "Hopefully makatulong. Kung hindi… dead na tayo!"
