Sleep Apnea May Affect Millions More Than Those Using CPAP Devices

Most people with sleep apnea do not use a CPAP machine to treat their chronic heavy snoring condition

Monday, January 10, 2022 - Sleep apnea may affect tens of millions more people whose condition is undiagnosed than the approximately 22 million that the American Sleep Apnea Association admits to. Most with diagnosed sleep apnea were being treated by using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices manufactured by Phillips Respironics, a Dutch company domiciled in the Netherlands. Millions of Americans were using the Phillips brand of sleep apnea relief device when they were notified in June of 2021 that their machine of the Phillips CPAP recall. User complaints described that the polyester (PE-PUR) sound abatement foam used to muffle noise during a night's use was breaking down and causing black particles to become visible in the machine's clear plastic airway leading to the users face, mouth, nose, and lungs. Further examination of the device discovered the foam degrading was also causing toxic, potentially carcinogenic gasses and chemicals to leach into the airway. It has been recently discovered that Royal Phillips knew of the complaints like these being made by customers as early as 2015, but did nothing to warn users of the Phillips CPAP cancer risks until mid-2021. Close to 1000 people to date have filed Phillips CPAP cancer lawsuits alleging they have developed lung cancer and other respiratory diseases from using the machine. Most recently, in late December of 2021, a lawsuit filed by a woman alleges that she developed different types of oral cancer because she used the machine every night for the past four years until alerted by her illness. "(She) indicates that she began using a DreamStation CPAP to treat her sleep apnea in January 2017, and regularly used the device for years daily. However, after breathing the toxic microparticles, she developed pneumonia twice over a year and was hospitalized as a result. Then, in the summer of 2021, when Philips announced a massive CPAP device recall due to the presence of toxic sound abatement foam, she began to experience oral pain, and was subsequently diagnosed with oral squamous carcinoma, a form of mouth cancer, in her soft palate," according to AboutLawsuits.com. The cancer patient has had to have the roof of her mouth and the top row of her teeth surgically removed making normal eating and speech impossible.

According to the ASAA, sleep apnea sufferers suffer from their breathing starting and stopping repeatedly during the night and also heavy snoring. Failing to get a solid night's sleep causes sleepiness the next day and difficulty concentrating and remembering things. The experts report that the most common form of the condition is called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). During OSA the muscles in the top back of the throat relax when the patient falls asleep causing them to flap while breathing (snoring). Obstrucive sleep apnea affects about 20% of people who are overweight and even higher rates for post-menapausal wowen. Treating sleep apnea immediately is important because of the severity of the side effects that the condition carries. According to the ASAA, "It's also strongly linked to life-threatening chronic conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke,Type 2 diabetes, and depression. Undiagnosed sleep apnea is often linked to heart disease and metabolic issues like diabetes."

More Recent Philips CPAP Cancer Lawsuit News:

Lawyers for CPAP Cancer Lawsuits

We will represent all persons in involved in a BiPAP or CPAP cancer lawsuit on a contingency basis, meaning there are never any legal fees unless we win compensation in your case. Anyone who developed cancer or another serious side effect as a result of using a Philips CPAP sleep apnea machine or ventilator in --or is a family member of such a person--is eligible to receive a free, no-obligation case review from our attorneys. Simply contact our firm through the online contact form or the chat feature and one of our Philips BiPAP cancer lawyers serving will contact you promptly to discuss your case.