Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder that might not seem to worry you but your room partner may be annoyed of. In research, it was found that 80% of the people having apnea go on without knowing the disorder whereas the other percentage thinks of visiting a sleep doctor.
What is sleep apnea? It is referred to as the long pauses and breaks of breathing that most people go through while sleeping. It has 3 forms, central (CSA), complex and obstructive (OSA).
The common sleep apnea of about 85% of the patients have is obstructive (OSA) form, which is caused due to the blockage of soft tissues of tongue and throat. Very few percentages are observed regarding the other two forms.
Top 10 symptoms
1.Snoring
You may snore at night with a very harsh noise but never consciously wake up. This may only be reported by your room partner. This does not only irritates your room partner but will affect your health in a very tiring way. Sleep is a very important factor if not fulfilled completely can affect your day.
Not every snorer is reported to have apnea nor every person with sleep apnea snore. Snoring is a sound that is produced due to the interruption of the respiratory airway during sleep, commonly experienced at night.
However, snoring is the main factor that may indicate a sleeping disorder. It is better to consult a physician to be better safe than sorry.
You may like to learn more about The Best Anti-Snoring Pillows.
2.Feel tired all the time
While waking up in the morning satisfied that you had a good sleep of about 7-8 hours during the day you will think your thought again. People with sleep apnea may feel satisfied with their sleep but then feel tired all day for no apparent reason.
At night when your room partner was trying to sleep between your chronicle noises (snoring quite loudly), you too did not get the full quantity sleep that your body required. This caused your body to struggle and use energy.
Tiredness during the day even after a fresh start can indicate sleep apnea where your day gets affected due to less sleep.
3.Have mood swings way too often
Are you prone to anxiety, often irritated and moody? It is just that you are sleep deprived. Not getting enough sleep and feeling tired can lead to your mood swings. Your mood may get all over the place due to your sleep disorder.
If you think that your short-tempered is all due to the lack of sleep then it may be the time to visit a physician and get over with the problem that is causing more problems.
4.Wake up with headaches
Headaches are a common symptom of sleep apnea. Almost every person reported with sleep apnea undergoes headaches just as they wake up.
Snoring at night causes choking that may interrupt the level of oxygen inhaled. Our brain needs oxygen to function and with its deficiency the level changes in the brain cause headaches.
After the all-day drowsiness, the common symptoms that must be acknowledged are the headaches.
5.Wake up breathing heavily
When you are told by your sleeping partner of your snoring or choking it is the time that you start looking for other symptoms of sleep apnea. At night your respiratory tissues start to loosen up and fall back which may cause blockage in the airways. This interruption is often signaled to your brain which wakes you half up and regulates the breathing system. This interruption is frequently done at night which causes lack of air intake.
If you wake up breathing heavily then sleep apnea be the cause. Make sure to make an appointment and visit a physician to have a clear result.
6.High blood pressure/hypertension
It is a problem that can be caused due to identical reasons as headaches. During the night when the respiratory system is interrupted oxygen flow in the blood slows down which causes a rapid flow of blood increases the pressure.
If your doctor has been treating your blood pressure and no positive signs start to show then this may lead to one conclusion that clears it up; sleep apnea.
The research shows that 50% of the people having sleep apnea suffer from hypertension.
7.Gained weight
Sleep apnea shows its signs with overweighting or obese. If you suffer from sleep apnea your throat and tongue tissues start to fatten up. This symptom can be observed in people who experience obese than people who have normal weight.
The excess tissues of the throat and tongue block the airways and cause respiratory problems. This respiratory problem leads to snoring and then sleep deprivation. To get your hands on the situation you should immediately consult a doctor to start the healing process.
8.High blood sugar
Sleep apnea can also be linked to the concentration of high blood sugar. In this case, everything occurring to the blood level in your body can be fluctuated and can lead to an excess amount of glucose, causing diabetes, with disruption of the intestines.
Diabetes is a major problem which should be dealt with as soon as possible, if not it can build itself into diabetes 2.
9.Frequent breaks in breathing
sleep apnea disorder causes blockage of airways through the throat. This causes a disturbance in breathing during sleep at night. You will not be conscious while the breathing takes a hill, but you will experience the tiredness in the morning. The throat has soft tissues which expand due to sleep apnea that leads to heavy breathing also referred to as pauses and breaks in the breathing process.
10. Heart pounds for no apparent reason
When at night your breathing takes pauses and breaks due to the abrupt change in oxygen levels. It may also cause blood pressure rise that is quite dangerous or may lead to critical situations.
These critical situations include heart attacks which can be caused by a rapid pounding of the heartbeat. It may make you think of the reasons which are nowhere to be seen but it is the cause of sleep apnea.
You may want to read more about Incredible Reasons Why Sleep is so Important.
Conclusion
If you undergo any of these symptoms while sleeping or overall in a day then it is very important for you to schedule a meet up with your doctor and have a detailed checkup, as sleep apnea is itself a major disorder leading to more severe diseases like heart failure, GERD, diabetes, arrhythmias, and stroke.
However, this disorder can be treated by visiting a therapist for treating the breathing system. By stabilizing and treating the glands present at the back of the throat to maintain normal breathing at night.
It is not important that all these symptoms may show up at the same time or even show at all. These signs may occur once and then start causing problems internally. Your health's sake should take action as soon as you feel something is off. It will also save you and your room partner from getting annoyed and irritated.