Sleep Apnea Symptoms
Common Sleep Apnea Symptoms
There are a number of signs that could indicate that you or a loved one is suffering from sleep apnea. Heavy snoring and excessive daytime sleepiness are two ailments that frequently afflict people with sleep apnea. Additional symptoms include:
- Lack of energy
- Pauses in breathing during sleep followed by loud gasping noises
- Decreased motivation
- Waking up with a dry mouth or headache
- Reduced libido
- Mood swings
- Anxiety and depression
The Two Types of Sleep Apnea
There are two major types of sleep apnea, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and central sleep apnea (CSA). OSA is by far the most common form of the condition. It’s caused by a physical obstruction that takes place somewhere along the airway.
OSA often occurs because your throat muscles relax while you sleep, allowing tissue to block the airway. This halts your airflow, causing a drop in the oxygen level in your blood. When your brain registers the drop in oxygen it wakes you up, prompting you to start breathing again.
This pattern of stopping and resuming breathing repeats itself as many as 30 times each hour as you sleep throughout the night, preventing you from getting a full night of restful sleep. Over time, OSA has several negative effects on your health and wellbeing. It reduces your energy level, impairs short and long-term memory, and it can also weaken your immune system.
CSA is a far less prevalent type of sleep apnea than OSA. It occurs when your brain fails to signal your muscles to breathe. This briefly halts your ability inhale. With CSA, you may wake up out of breath or have a hard time staying asleep throughout the night.
Risk Factors for Sleep Apnea
There is no group that’s immune from sleep apnea. It affects both men and women and people of various ages. But there are some factors and lifestyle habits that increase your chances of suffering from sleep apnea:
- Age–older patients are at higher risk
- Gender–males are at higher risk
- Heavy snoring
- Family history
- Alcohol consumption
- Having a large neck circumference
- Nasal congestion
Sleep apnea is hazardous to your health when left untreated. It increases your risk for a number of serious medical conditions, including strokes, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic disease, and liver problems.
Getting the Right Care for Your Sleep Apnea
Dr. Aragona will make sure you get the right diagnosis and proper care for your sleep apnea. He’ll begin with a dental examination and then he’ll ask you some questions about the type of sleep you’ve been getting. The next step is getting a sleep study.
For your convenience, we can arrange comprehensive at-home sleep testing. A Michigan physician who’s certified by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine will review your results and prescribe the appropriate course of treatment for you.
Here at Aragona Sleep Solutions, we work closely with your sleep physician to provide effective sleep apnea care. And we can still treat your heavy snoring even if it isn’t related to sleep apnea.
You may have already tried CPAP and found it wasn’t the right treatment for you, so try our oral appliances as an effective alternative.
Getting the right care for your sleep apnea will improve your sleep, your physical health, and your emotional wellbeing. Don’t wait. Call (586) 522-4326 today to schedule your free consultation with Dr. Aragona.