Signs And Symptoms Of Sleep Apnea Article

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Signs and Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea, which causes interruptions in breathing or air flow as you sleep, is fairly common. Many people who have sleep apnea have not been diagnosed, but their bed partner may want them to. This is because snoring is one of the hallmarks of sleep apnea.

Author: Sara Goldstein

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The most common type of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This occurs because the soft tissue at the back of your throat relaxes so much that it blocks your airway. This is also what causes the sound of snoring. When your breathing is interrupted, the level of oxygen in your blood drops. Your brain tells your body to wake up so you can start breathing again. Most of the time, you will have no idea this is going on because you’re only awake long enough to gasp for breath.

However, just because you may not realize you’re waking up, you’ll know it anyway. This is because the four major symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea are:

• Snoring
• Choking and gasping as you sleep
• Pauses between breaths
• Daytime sleepiness, no matter how many hours of sleep you believe you got

Most of these you’ll either have to take on faith that you have or will be told by your spouse or bed partner, or – if you snore loud enough – anyone else in the house. Some of the other signs may be common to you by now. These include:

• Dry mouth or sore throat upon waking
• Headaches in the morning
• Insomnia or waking up after nightmares
• Waking up feeling out of breath
• Moodiness, depression, irritability
• Problems concentrating or being forgetful

The seriousness of sleep apnea cannot be understated. People with severe sleep apnea are in danger of heart attacks and stroke. Consider visiting a sleep specialist if you believe you or a loved one has sleep apnea.

About Author

If you live in Calgary, Alberta, and believe you may have sleep apnea, please visit the website of sleep apnea dentist Gordon Chee at Aesthetic Dental Studio for an initial evaluation.

www.aestheticdentalstudio.ca

Article Source: http://www.1888articles.com/author-sara-goldstein-4751.html

Signs and Symptoms of Sleep Apnea