Joe Biden has started sleeping in an air mask due to sleep apnea.
Mr Biden, 80, is using a CPAP machine, a motorised medical device which prevents interruptions in breathing during the night.
CPAP stands for “continuous positive airway pressure,” and the machine pumps air through a tube to a mask strapped on the user’s nose.
The pressure of the air being delivered keeps their airway open.
Horizontal indentations from the mask straps were visible on both sides of Mr Biden’s face when he left the White House to give an economic speech in Chicago on Wednesday.
Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates said Mr Biden had “disclosed his history with sleep apnea in thorough medical reports” since 2008.
Mr Bates said: “He used a CPAP machine last night, which is common for people with that history.”
Sleep apnea is a common but potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing can stop and start in the night.
If left untreated it may cause symptoms including forgetfulness, fatigue and sleepiness.
It can ultimately lead to cardiovascular disease because of the significant strain it can put on the heart, according to studies..
Age is one of several factors that increases the risk of developing sleep apnea.
In people with the condition, throat and tongue muscles relax and block the airway during sleep.
The risk is increased by obesity, aging or facial structure.
Source: Telegraph
