A woman noticed that her dog had developed an annoying habit of waking her up regularly in the middle of the night. At first it annoyed her. Every night she fought back in frustration when the dog licked her face and disturbed her sleep. She finally found out the reason for his behavior. It was at these moments that she stopped breathinginforms the newspaper.
Experts at Science Direct attribute the ability of dogs, whether trained or untrained, to recognize seizures and other health problems to their exceptional sense of smell and sensitivity to human cues. “This is supported by studies in which dogs were able to distinguish between epileptics during and outside of a seizure, possibly through the detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs),” they said in an official report.
Today, the owner of the pet realizes that he saved her life. “For the last few weeks, I have been waking up without sleep and I became irritated with my dog because he woke me up around two in the morning by licking my face. I was wondering why he’s just not sleeping instead of being so playful so late.” she thought to herself.
In this case, the dog helped detect a sleep disorder, namely obstructive sleep apnea, in which the airways narrow during sleep and proper breathing stops. Untreated, the disorder can lead to serious health problems, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, or stroke. “Long story short, I’d stop breathing in my sleep and he’d somehow notice it every time. He’d rush over to wake me up so I could breathe again.” she explained.
She found out the truth by installing a camera in her room to test the situation. Watching the footage, she noticed that whenever she stopped snoring and there was silence, she stopped breathing for a moment. Her dog got up from the bed and started licking her eagerly.
She shared her experience on the social network Reddit, where people recommended her to use a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) device, which significantly improves the quality of sleep in apnea. Commentators also pointed out that a sleep disorder can seriously compromise the heart and overall health, and they hailed the dog as a hero.
This story is also a reminder that dogs are not only companions and friends, but can also be life-saving companions. If you are considering a dog, keep in mind that they require constant care, training, mental stimulation, exercise and love throughout their lives.
