<p>I’m still a couple of years shy of 60 but over the last few years, I’ve noticed several disconcerting symptoms that, for the most part, my PCP has pooh-poohed away as nothing significant. </p>
<p>Forgetting names of not-immediate contacts, eg. children of long-time friends or ex-colleagues who quit a couple of years ago, names of songs/artists from yesteryear, and even occasionally walking down to the basement freezer only to realize I’ve got to focus for a minute to come up with why I came down. Also seem to have begun experiencing sleepiness during my hour-long commute back - a problem I’ve never had before, but now requiring a conscious effort. And general concern about ever wanting to do things like ski or scuba dive again…</p>
<p>Have any of you other seniors or almost-seniors experienced any significant and tangible mental changes, and how did it pan out over time?</p>
<p>“Also seem to have begun experiencing sleepiness during my hour-long commute back - a problem I’ve never had before, but now requiring a conscious effort.”
Oooh! I STRONGLY suggest you get tested for sleep apnea,[ VERY common in older men!] since ALL of these factors can be caused by this condition, and ESPECIALLY the one above is a screaming red flag! . DH suffered many of the same symptoms, and after getting diagnosed and fitted with a sleep mask, now has the energy of someone 20 years younger AND he is a LOT sharper mentally as well!</p>
<p>“Common Sleep Problem Raises Dementia Risk”</p>
<p>“Sleep itself plays a role in the consolidation of long-term memory, so the scientists at first suspected that the frequent interruptions of sleep, and getting less sleep, might have caused the effect. But they found that the number of sleep disruptions and the total duration of sleep had no association with mental impairment. It was only hypoxia — reduced oxygen to the brain caused by the breathing disruptions — that was consistently associated with mental impairment.”</p>
<p>I don’t have sleep apnea…but I DO NOT sleep through the night…ever. It also takes my bruises longer to mend. I recently sprained my ankle and it took three full weeks for it to be 100%. I also seem to gain weight more easily!</p>
<p>My knees, leg, heels, and elbows are stiff. My eyes burn a lot. I get more frequent seasonal allergies. I wake up too much during my regular sleeping hours and can’t fall back to sleep and then when I’m up and have started my day, I get sleepy. I enjoy being alone more. I don’t like a lot of ruckus! :)</p>
<p>Dad<em>of</em>3, I wouldn’t be too worried about the memory glitches but I would be concerned about the sleepiness during your evening commute. Please do consider a sleep study that includes measuring your blood oxygen levels.
<p>Some things both dh & I have noticed are that we both bruise more easily and are slower to heal; our skin is thinner and we get cuts more often; we can stay up very late for one night but not for two nights in a row; we spend way too much time in the bathroom (sorry if that’s TMI); and we go through a lot more Pepcid than even five years ago. </p>
<p>Most of the rest of the symptoms I’m experiencing are gender specific, so I won’t go into them here. Whoever said aging is not for sissies was so right!</p>
<p>I’m having cataract surgery next week. I’ve almost maxed out my dental insurance benefits for the year - and there are still 4 months to go. Other than that, I can’t complain. (As my 99 y/o grandmother frequently says.)</p>
<p>Dad<em>of</em>3: yup, I knew I was getting old when I couldn’t remember the name of Will Smith but could tick off all his TV show and movies, his wife’s name and what his kids are doing. Thank goodness for Google and IMDB. Oh, and also when I started seeing flashy things out of the corner of my eye with no identifiable light source. It was my welcome to the world of posterior vitreous shrinkage and retinal tears.</p>
<p>Well, I’m shy of 60 too, but having passed that milestone a while back we’ve gotten on speaking terms. (rimshot!) </p>
<p>Answer to question: all of the above. As to sleep apnea; I was in denial (or maybe “don’t-carial”) but as a favor to my long-suffering wife I got tested. (I’ve rarely heard myself snore, so how could it be a problem?) I did experience the drowsiness driving home, though.</p>
<p>Anyway, apnea testing turned out to be simple. They issued me two sensors, one for each of two fingers, and something that looked like Dick Tracy’s wrist-radio. (OK, I’m really skewing old now!) I put them on one night, turned them in the next morning, and learned a couple days later to my surprise that I had been waking up 42 times an hour all night long. Apparently that’s not a good thing.</p>
<p>Who knew?</p>
<p>The CPAP machine, which is the 100% effective treatment, is not easy to get used to. Took me several weeks. But once you get used to it - no more drowsiness, no more snoring. Not sexy - you need to deal with your ego here - but sometimes you just have to man up and deal.</p>