Sunday, September 15, 2013

Sleep Apnea and Depression - Is There a Connection?


There has been debate over the sleep apnea depression issue, if sleeping apnea is the cause of depression. The difficulty to answer this question lies in the fact that there are many similar symptoms to these diseases, such as a change in sleep patterns, fatigue and irritability.

Although the connection between sleeping apnea (SA) and depression is unclear, several studies have shown that there is such an association. For example, the conclusions of a study published in 2005 have proved that many people with depression symptoms improved significantly when treated with a CPAP machine.

No wonder that you can't tell the difference between the two. Even the psychologists, psychiatrists and physicians confuse them. If you are worried, stressed out and dealing with adverse circumstances, that might indicate the presence of a depression.

It is not known which one is the cause and which is the effect. Like the egg and the chicken. You can't be sure which one came first. It can happen both ways. SA can lead to a lack of sleep, which turns into fatigue and irritability, and these may end up in a depression. That seams common sense.

A depression has insomnia as one of its symptoms. In time, insomnia can produce a type of SA. It is a fact that those who suffer from depression are five times more likely to experience SA. And this is the sleep apnea depression.

Depression has different negative mental effects. Besides irritability and fatigue it can affect the learning abilities, can lead to a loss of concentration and also a loss of interest in fun activities.

Treating the sleep apnea has proved to reduce the symptoms of depression. But don't rely only on your psychiatrist to help you with sleep apnea. He will probably recommend antidepressants. If you have at least one or two sleeping apnea symptoms, like snoring, then you should probably check this out. That's why for sleep apnea depression is important to know what cures are available.

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