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By now harvest is well underway. It started a bit slow for us over on the east side of the county; lots of cloudy days and light rain showers to limit the soybean harvest. Only a few minor issues; there is a new scuff on the bean head from a green grain cart driver and the freight-shaker may have seen its last load. I, of course, have been in the wrong spot a bunch of times with the header trailer, also. Other than that, things have been going pretty smooth. There were a few unfortunate events around the area this fall. It gets you thinking about safety. We are working with some big equipment and things can go wrong in a hurry. It’s important to take care of yourself during this time to stay sharp. If you find yourself sleepy during the day or feel foggy all day long, one thing to consider is this month’s topic: obstructive sleep apnea or OSA.
OSA is when your airway collapses repeatedly many times throughout the night, leading to poor oxygenation and sleep quality. Untreated OSA leaves you feeling tired, sleepy, and with poor concentration (a bad combination when dealing with big equipment and already stressful situations). OSA is very common as well, and with estimates that 25-45% of Americans are affected! Other symptoms include snoring, episodes of gasping while sleeping, morning headaches, or having to urinate in the night multiple times. Untreated OSA can lead to a bunch of bad things including accidents (YIKES!), poor concentration, hypertension, heart disease, arrythmias, diabetes, fatty liver disease, and many others.
The good news is we have treatment for this! If you have any symptoms make an appointment. Let’s talk about diagnosis and treatment and get you feeling your best!
Next month’s topic; elevated blood pressure.
Long live the farmer, Tracy Hansen, Nurse Practitioner
If you have any comments on this article or ideas to address in this publication, email me at hansent@murraycountymed. org.
