Obstructive sleep apnea is linked to a range of serious health problems, including cardiovascular disease, glaucoma, and brain damage. Of course, the more immediate problem with sleep apnea is that it leaves you drowsy and fatigued during the day. And as one Maryland resident learned the hard way, failure to get treated can put you on the wrong side of the law.

Some months after being diagnosed with sleep apnea last June, David Allick of Rockville received a letter from the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration, requiring additional information regarding his diagnosis. Failure to provide the requested documentation, including a letter from his doctor, could result in a suspension of his license.

It turns out that sleep apnea is one of several conditions, including epilepsy and a stroke, that Maryland law states can impact an individual’s ability to receive or renew a driver’s license.

We’re not lawyers, and we have no idea if such a law exists in Texas. But either way, if you’re suffering from sleep apnea, you owe it to yourself and other drivers on the road to get treated. Drive safe out there!

Source: Little-Known Maryland Law Requires People With Sleep Apnea to Report Diagnosis to Driving Authorities (NBC4 Washington)