Sleep Apnea Can Cause Your Everyday Life To Be Negatively Effected
There is growing awareness about sleep apnea as we are seeing more and more celebrities coming forward and saying that they have sleep apnea. The fact is that sleep apnea effects people we wouldn’t necessarily think would have sleep apnea like athletes and others who don’t fit the profile. Regardless of whether or not you fit that profile, if you are not sleeping well, have daytime sleepiness, mood swings or uncontrollable health issues, you probably need to get tested for sleep apnea.
Recent studies have found that sleep apnea can have a negative effect on your short term memory such as remembering where you parked your car, left your keys or did you leave that door unlocked. Some of you would say ” I have done that before. Does that mean I have sleep apnea?” We all have forgotten things but where we need to stand up and take notice is if that forgetfulness is on going or habitual. If you are forgetting where you parked the car a couple of times per year, your might just be having a bad day. If you are doing it weekly or a few times a month, you need to get checked out.
What Type Of Memory Is Affected By Sleep Apnea?
These types of memories are called “spacial memories.” Spacial memories are utilized in our everyday activities like remembering the location of a favorite restaurant or the route back to your home. This is the particular type of memory that is affected by Alzheimer disease. It’s why Alzheimer patients are often found wondering around and not aware of their environment. Sleep apnea can do the same thing.
Those who report not getting enough sleep also report problems with memory. In the case of sleep apnea, the brain gets deprived of oxygen and it is not permitted to “reboot” properly with good rest. This brings up the fact of just how important sleep and rest is to our bodies and its natural functions. While the negative effects of sleep apnea on cardiovascular health have been more broadly studied, this work sheds light on important cognitive consequences of sleep apnea.
If you are noticing these lapses in your memory on a regular basis, then you may need to have a sleep study done to determine if you have sleep apnea. More than 80% of those who have sleep apnea are undiagnosed and go for years not knowing they have it until some adverse health problem arises.
Our office specializes in the treatment of sleep apnea and we are very passionate about helping people overcome this disease. The health consequences should not be overlooked or ignored. If you feel you have sleep apnea, then call our office and we will walk you through a step by step process to get you diagnosed effectively as well as get you treated.