Most people can differentiate between sunny, rainy or foggy days. However for almost 15% of adult Americans who live with untreated sleep apnea, the days can start to blend into one and another and
all seem foggy. Each day is a struggle — with energy, focus, stamina, health, memory, relationships, work, nutrition, fitness, and so on. Many times these individuals feel drained and are left with an overwhelming feeling of muddling through each day. As a result, this can leave little room for anything more, let alone a spirit of thankfulness.
When a person’s daily ambition is to “just get through the day”, it is tough to feel thankful. It can also be hard to accept what your loved ones are saying about your sleeping patterns and chronic snoring. However, if you have people in your life who care for you enough to address a potential problem, consider yourself one of the lucky ones. Knowing that someone has witnessed your breathing stopping at night, could be the first step in saving your life.
Struggling to breathe at night is a sure sign that there is something very wrong. Snoring (excessively) can also be a significant indicator to sleep apnea. The good news is, a potential problem has been identified and you can do something about it to be on your way to better health.
What you also should know is that you are not alone. We mentioned how many Americans are estimated to have sleep apnea but did you know that almost 85% of that group remains undiagnosed?
It’s time to be thankful for the awareness of a potential problem and that you perhaps have people in your life that really care for you.
As long as we’re making a list of things to appreciate, let’s talk about treatment options. Thank goodness for options! For many people, CPAP therapy is great solution. For others, an oral appliance is terrific option and has been proven to be very successful for people. (What’s even better is that oral appliances make traveling a breeze.) Weight loss can also help tremendously. In addition, surgery is sometimes an option for certain people.
Now that we’ve discussed the foggy state of perpetual exhaustion from untreated sleep apnea, coming
out of that fog, and reflecting on what to be thankful for, take a look at this simple French definition we came across for the word gratitude. “Gratitude = a lively sense of future benefit.” If we can contemplate thankfulness from this perspective, we can start to see how someone’s future can highly benefit from
taking the next steps to achieving better health — testing and treatment.
If you or someone you know exhibit signs of sleep apnea, such as daytime fatigue and/or chronic snoring, call our office today for an appointment. If loved ones express their concern with your sleeping patterns and snoring, THANK THEM and seek testing immediately. Sleep apnea can be a life threatening sleep breathing disorder that should not be ignored.