Sleep Apnea Symptoms

March 9, 2008

In Sleep Apnea, sleep is disturbed by frequent interruptions to the normal breathing pattern. There are two main types of Sleep Apnea - Central Sleep Apnea and Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is caused by a blockage or obstruction in your airway, throat or nasal passage. Usually the obstruction is caused by a physical abnormality, and this is what prevents you from breathing properly. In this article, we’re going to tell you a bit more about the signs and symptoms of sleep apnea.

Symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) can be extremely dangerous. During OSA the heart stops during sleep for short periods of time. This could happen up to 120 times per hour. Each time the heart stops for 10 to 60 seconds. Problems occur because the body does not receive enough oxygen during this time.

The Obstructive Sleep Apnea symptoms vary, but can include:

1. continual and loud snoring
2. loss of energy
3. always feeling tired
4. never feeling rested
5. weight gain and obesity, or being overweight
6. frequent urination during the night
7. anxiety and depression
8. daytime sleeping or sleepiness
9. falling asleep at the wheel while driving
10. headaches in the morning
11. dry mouth in the morning
12. chest retracts from not breathing properly
13. high blood pressure
14. feeling stressed
15. being irritable
16. frequent heartburn
17. difficulty concentrating
18. trouble sleeping
19. depression
20. needing to urinate a lot at night
21. personality changes
22. no desire to have intimate relationships

Snoring loudly and continually can be a sign of sleep apnea. Do others tell you that you snore all the time? If so, it could be caused by an obstruction, and you could have sleep apnea. In sleep apnea, you stop breathing, for a few seconds. It could be only ten seconds, but some people stop breathing for even longer. This puts stress on your body and organs, especially your heart and brain.

If your sleep apnea is caused by enlarged tonsils or adenoids you may have to have them surgically removed in order to ease your sleep apnea problems. For children this type of surgery often provides immediate relief from sleep apnea obstruction problems.

You can have a sleep test to find out if you have sleep apnea or not, it’s even possible you may have sleep apnea as well as other problems. Your family doctor should be able to refer you to a specialist who can give you the sleep test. The sleep test is called a polysomnograph, and it allows you to sleep while the doctor is monitoring your sleep patterns and body functions.

Sleep apnea can cause serious problems, such as a heart attach, or a stroke in older generations. So if you have many of the symptoms above, or you suspect you may have sleep apnea you should talk to your doctor about it.

Posted in Sleep Disorders & Snoring