Cognition, as defined by the National Library of Medicine, is “the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses.” Cognitive issues and memory loss are often listed as symptoms of sleep apnea, but how do we know if we are dealing with these symptoms? These are broad terms, difficult to pinpoint in daily life, especially since phrases like “brain fog” have become commonplace and seem to cover a range of experiences.
Aeroflow Sleep does a good job of approaching the clinical angle already, but a patient perspective is special. That’s where I come in; with real life experiences of my own and those of the guests on my podcast. And, hearing their stories, I’m confident that there are 3 common, cognitive denominators you should be aware of if you think you have obstructive sleep apnea.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has three levels of severity: mild, moderate, and severe. Which severity you have is measured by how many times your breathing alters during sleep. If this only happens 5-15 times, you have mild OSA. Is that really enough to subject a patient to a lifetime of PAP therapy?
Dr. Neomi Shah, MD, MPH, MSC, is the System Vice Chair for Faculty Affairs in the Department of Medicine, and Professor (with Tenure) in the Department of Medicine, and Associate Division Chief for Academic Affairs in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine. At the annual American Academy of Sleep Medicine conference, she defended the unpopular opinion that no, treating mild OSA doesn’t mean you have to use a CPAP. Aeroflow Sleep is here to share (and then, argue against) her research.
Aeroflow Sleep reached out, but Dr. Shah did not respond immediately for comment.
The top manufacturer of CPAP supplies, ResMed shared this statistic: “As many as 48% of people diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes have also been diagnosed with sleep apnea. Even more striking, researchers believe that 86% of obese Type 2 Diabetic patients suffer from sleep apnea.” These two disorders are very heavily connected, which is exactly why Aeroflow Sleep wants you to know about both; especially since our parent company treats both and has Medical Advisors (like Dr. Carleara Weiss and Dr. Rich Marlar) on staff to represent each.
I sat in the doctor’s office with a sense of anticipation, almost verging on excitement. I was 23 years old, and my daytime sleepiness was getting so bad that I was struggling to stay awake at work. After an initial consultation, the doctor ran every blood test he could think of. I was returning to the doctor’s office for the results.
“Great news!,” he said with a beaming smile. “All of your bloodwork came back completely normal.” I tried to mirror his jubilant expression, but deep down, I felt disappointment and dismay. The doctor’s reassurances made me question if I had made up my sleepiness or if my sleepiness was my fault for not sticking to an early bedtime. It never occurred to me that the doctor could be missing a serious sleep disorder and that I should seek a second opinion or push for a sleep study.
Simply put, sleep apnea is a disorder where someone stops breathing during sleep. The term applies to 3 different types of sleep apnea: obstructive sleep apnea (OSA,) central sleep apnea (CSA,) and mixed sleep apnea. In today’s blog, we’ll define all 3 types of sleep apnea, discuss their causes and symptoms, and reveal how Aeroflow Sleep has effective therapies to treat every one.
One person may identify as he. Another may be nonbinary, identifying as they. And, some use neutral pronouns; ey/em or xey/xem. Aeroflow Sleep respects this, because—simply put, we respect people. Unfortunately, a person’s assigned sex at birth (ASAB) often medically contradicts their gender identity, especially when adopting a different gender does not negate their sex organs, hormones, etc.
This is exactly why obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is silently attacking the trans community, and why, in solidarity with Kira Quinn, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine and an openly trans woman, Aeroflow Sleep is reminding all that sleep apnea does actually discriminate.
After a miserable night of sleep, the brain fog creeps in. It’s hard to think, hard to concentrate. You want to be positive, to function as normal, but you can’t. You will do almost anything to wake up. You try having an extra cup of coffee, blasting upbeat music, or grabbing a sweet treat. However, if you have sleep apnea, you may be starting each day with a strained brain already, and this could lead to brain damage. People who have sleep apnea stop breathing during their sleep, occurring anywhere from just a few times to several times per night. In this blog, Dr. Monique May, Board-Certified Family Physician and Medical Advisor for Aeroflow Sleep, helps us learn about four ways sleep-apnea negatively affects your brain.
From headaches to excessive daytime fatigue, Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) comes with a myriad of side effects. Night sweats can be one of them. Why is that? Today, Aeroflow Sleep takes a look at why we sweat, then asks Dr. Carleara Weiss, our top Sleep Science Advisor, about the connection between sleep apnea and night sweats, treatment options, and more.
When was the last time you asked yourself, is technology affecting my good night’s sleep? It’s okay if you can’t remember. Unless you recently watched The Terminator and are consistently having nightmares about the fictional artificial superintelligence, Skynet, technology affecting our good night’s sleep is not something we often think about.
Aeroflow Sleep will open your eyes to 10 ways technology affects your sleep; including ways that particularly impact our patients with sleep apnea. We’ll then help close your eyes again so you can sleep soundly, with tips, tricks, even technological devices you can actually utilize to change your sleep habits for the better. After all, a good night’s sleep is waiting for you.
Living to be 100 years old is a wonderful, attainable achievement for some, but it’s especially difficult if you have untreated sleep apnea. Research within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) states, “22 million Americans have sleep apnea, and 80% don’t know it.” Hold up. 17.6 million people in this country don’t know they have sleep apnea?! You know what else equates to 17.6 million people? The entire population of Malawi.
Wherever unknown sleep apnea lingers, untreated sleep apnea lingers too. Not to mention, health problems increase...along with the patients’ risk of death. Read on to learn what sleep apnea is, what happens if it goes untreated, how much untreated sleep apnea costs, and more. Plus, as a medical equipment supplier, we’ll offer you the best in sleep apnea treatment.
