Because of this mechanism, you stand no chance of suffocating in your sleep. At this time, the breathing airways open and breathing resumes. When the body senses it’s not getting enough oxygen during sleep, it forces an awakening. Some would argue that you might not actually die in your sleep from apnea. Ultimately, however, the cause of death was listed as “sleep apnea with other conditions: atherosclerotic heart disease, drug use.” Is it possible to die from sleep apnea? Monday morning, a more detailed analysis of Fisher’s death revealed the presence of multiple substances in her system at the time of death: cocaine, opiates, methadone, alcohol, and ecstasy. While drug use was mentioned in the report, the announcement that sleep apnea and heart disease were major contributing factors has left many with new questions. The Los Angeles County coroner’s office released its report last Friday, which revealed a number of factors which contributed to the popular actress’s death. Many assumed her death would be tied to drug use.Īnd to some extent, it has been. Fisher suffered from mental health problems and drug addiction throughout her life. Since then, family members, friends, and fans have wanted to know the specific cause of death. These are symptoms consistent with heart attack in women. When she did arouse, she began to vomit before slumping over and becoming unresponsive. (It’s still unclear whether Fisher knew she had sleep apnea, according to this report from Forbes, which suggests if she did, she was potentially unaware of it and, therefore, not actively treating it.)Īt the end of the flight, Fisher could not be awakened easily. Her assistant shared in a recent interview that Fisher slept most of the flight and had suffered some respiratory events (apneas) during this time, which was considered normal for her.
However, this work does not happen without support… Please donate now to the ASAA and join us in finding a cure for sleep apnea! What caused Carrie Fisher’s death?Ĭarrie Fisher died four days after suffering a heart attack during a flight from London to Los Angeles six months ago. While the ASAA is focused on public awareness, education, and advocacy for sleep apnea, we have taken on a new initiative-to help find a cure for sleep apnea-so that the deaths of Carrie Fisher and others can be avoided in the future.
We are attempting to learn more so that we may help educate others about diagnosis of and treatments for this very common medical condition. It’s unclear to the American Sleep Apnea Association (ASAA) whether Fisher had been diagnosed with and/or was actively treating her sleep apnea. The headlines suggesting Fisher’s death at age 60 was caused by obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are giving many people reason to pause. It does not store any personal data.News of the official cause of death of iconic Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher (Princess/General Leia) has swept the Internet, leaving open many unanswered questions. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly.