What Is The Effect of Sleep Apnea On Your Job?

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
mcpascaln
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What Is The Effect of Sleep Apnea On Your Job?

Post by mcpascaln » Thu Jan 03, 2013 9:04 pm

This is a real life experiences. Before being diagnosed with CSA and OSA,many times I felt very tired, could not remember the last mile or two, as well as while driving, drifted occasionally onto rumble strips on the side of the road . During church services,I fall asleep midway into half hour sermons. The same was true during classes and training workshops. At one time, employers reported me to my bosses at different work places and got a reprimand. In class, a concern from a caring professor was registered. It was only recently last month that I was diagnosed. Please, what have been you experiences?

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SleepingUgly
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Re: What Is The Effect of Sleep Apnea On Your Job?

Post by SleepingUgly » Thu Jan 03, 2013 9:19 pm

I've majorly underachieved occupationally relative to my education and training.
Never put your fate entirely in the hands of someone who cares less about it than you do. --Sleeping Ugly

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Sheriff Buford
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Re: What Is The Effect of Sleep Apnea On Your Job?

Post by Sheriff Buford » Thu Jan 03, 2013 9:28 pm

After a long time of total exhaustion, I finally went to my general practitioner complaining of exhaustion. On the first visit, the nurse suspected sleep apnea. I said, "What's that?" She said it was not getting enough sleep. My assumption was that I was getting 8-10 hours of sleep (plenty of sleep), so that wasn't my problem. I went to see my doctor's physician assistant. He explained what sleep apnea was because he also had it. He asked all the typical questions and talked me into a sleep study. I was pulling over into parking lots to take long naps, always sleeping and feeling like a truck ran over me the whole time!

Sheriff

mcpascaln
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Re: What Is The Effect of Sleep Apnea On Your Job?

Post by mcpascaln » Thu Jan 03, 2013 9:48 pm

Sheriff Buford wrote:I was pulling over into parking lots to take long naps, always sleeping and feeling like a truck ran over me the whole time!

Sheriff
And when I frequently pulled over along the highways or interstates for short naps and shared the experience with my friend later, he remarked that I can be shot by a robber if one is alone and sleeping on such lonely places may invite unwanted elements. He advised me to go instead to McDonald. I really took his advise seriously.

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Last edited by mcpascaln on Mon Jan 07, 2013 6:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.

mcpascaln
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Re: What Is The Effect of Sleep Apnea On Your Job?

Post by mcpascaln » Thu Jan 03, 2013 10:05 pm

SleepingUgly wrote:I've majorly underachieved occupationally relative to my education and training.
So in effect, you are stating that sleep apnea is responsible for your being underachieved occupationally relative to your education and training?

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SleepingUgly
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Re: What Is The Effect of Sleep Apnea On Your Job?

Post by SleepingUgly » Thu Jan 03, 2013 10:17 pm

mcpascaln wrote:
SleepingUgly wrote:I've majorly underachieved occupationally relative to my education and training.
So in effect, you are stating that sleep apnea is responsible for your being underachieved occupationally relative to your education and training?
The EDS/cognitive dysfunction (which presumably is secondary to the sleep disorder) have been a major factor, as well as obviously their byproducts (e.g., reduced confidence that my brain can function when I need it to leading to, etc.).

Does this surprise you?
Never put your fate entirely in the hands of someone who cares less about it than you do. --Sleeping Ugly

mcpascaln
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Re: What Is The Effect of Sleep Apnea On Your Job?

Post by mcpascaln » Thu Jan 03, 2013 10:22 pm

SleepingUgly wrote:The EDS/cognitive dysfunction (which presumably is secondary to the sleep disorder) have been a major factor, as well as obviously their byproducts (e.g., reduced confidence that my brain can function when I need it to leading to, etc.).
Oho,I did not know the existence of The EDS/cognitive dysfunction. This is new to me. Thanks for educating me about that.

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Re: What Is The Effect of Sleep Apnea On Your Job?

Post by borgready » Fri Jan 04, 2013 5:46 am

You get fired or and you can't hold a job. Employers don't like you dozing on the Job. If you run machinery then you could get hurt or hurt some else. If you drive to and from work, an accident will most likely happen. They demonize drunk driving. You don't hear much about reckless driving from dozing off. I would say alot of accidents happen because someone dozes off behind the wheel.

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Re: What Is The Effect of Sleep Apnea On Your Job?

Post by borgready » Fri Jan 04, 2013 6:31 am

What is EDS/cognitive dysfunction?

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Re: What Is The Effect of Sleep Apnea On Your Job?

Post by borgready » Fri Jan 04, 2013 6:36 am

Can you get disability from the US govt if you have sleep apnea? What types of sleeping disorders are allowed to get disability and what has to be proved or shown by a doctor?

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Re: What Is The Effect of Sleep Apnea On Your Job?

Post by borgready » Fri Jan 04, 2013 6:44 am

What types of jobs could a person with sleep apnea hold and not get fired due to perfomance issues?

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SleepingUgly
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Re: What Is The Effect of Sleep Apnea On Your Job?

Post by SleepingUgly » Fri Jan 04, 2013 8:03 am

EDS = Excessive Daytime Sleepiness
cognitive dysfunction = trouble with cognition (in my case due to being sleepy)

EDS is a symptom of many disorders, including many sleep disorders, including sleep apnea. It's not a syndrome.
Never put your fate entirely in the hands of someone who cares less about it than you do. --Sleeping Ugly

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Re: What Is The Effect of Sleep Apnea On Your Job?

Post by jnk » Fri Jan 04, 2013 8:29 am

My job doesn't have sleep apnea.

And now that my airway is successully stabilized with PAP therapy, I get better sleep than most people who have not been diagnosed OSA.

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Re: What Is The Effect of Sleep Apnea On Your Job?

Post by jencat824 » Fri Jan 04, 2013 11:10 am

borgready wrote:Can you get disability from the US govt if you have sleep apnea? What types of sleeping disorders are allowed to get disability and what has to be proved or shown by a doctor?
In most cases , no since the problem can be corrected with proper use of CPAP/APAP/BiPAP therapy. If therapy doesn't work, as I understand it next step would/could be surgery. I don't think OSA meets guidelines for disability. Now if severe and you already have damaged your health, say strokes, heart attacks, etc, a person might be disabled due to the damage of, for instance, the stroke, then a person might be considered for social security disability. Obviously why would someone want that to happen?

I am disabled and have OSA, but I am NOT disabled becaused of OSA, but because of health conditions unrelated to OSA. Also, I don't want to be disabled/retired, and if I could find a way to work again, I would. If you are thinking of disability as a way to get out of work, shame on you. If you are truly too sick to work, sorry I said that. Being too sick to work and having to retire or take disability is awful, and I would not wish that on my worst enemy.

I hope your health improves and I hope you are able to be a healthy, happy working individual again. OSA is treatable, but does require work on the part of the patient.
Jen

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Re: What Is The Effect of Sleep Apnea On Your Job?

Post by chunkyfrog » Fri Jan 04, 2013 11:58 am

Sheriff: I've been under that truck.
Anybody see the plates?

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