Main Symptoms Of Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a condition in which patients experience pauses in breathing while sleeping. This can be caused by obstruction of the airway, which prevents air from flowing into the lungs. Here are the common symptoms that sleep apnea patients face:

Chronic Snoring

Snoring is a common symptom of sleep apnea. However, chronic snoring is only a symptom if it occurs with pauses in breathing or cessation of breath during sleep. If you snore without breaks in your breathing or if you only briefly stop breathing while sleeping, you are probably not suffering from sleep apnea. If you suspect that you or a loved one may be suffering from sleep apnea, make an appointment with a doctor for diagnosis and our dentist for treatment.

Choking or Gasping

Snoring and restless sleep are common symptoms of sleep apnea, but some patients have reported choking or gasping in their sleep. These episodes can last a few seconds and happen throughout the night.

When the body awakens from one of these episodes, many patients report feeling sleepy or even groggy in the morning. A lack of oxygen during the night can lead to serious complications with everyday functioning during the day. Many patients report feeling sluggish all day, even after getting a full night's rest. 

Daytime Fatigue

Many people who suffer from sleep apnea find themselves fatigued throughout the day. This is a result of the air blockage and the lack of oxygen that is common with this condition. The sufferer may wake up frequently as the body attempts to breathe, which results in excessive sleep loss. When the sleeper does fall into a deep sleep, the breathing may be obstructed, and the individual will suddenly awaken in a state of panic. Those interruptions can make it difficult for an individual to stay awake during the day, or they may feel sleepy during the daytime hours. Sleepiness can result in accidents while operating a vehicle or other mishaps that could have been avoided if the individual was alert and awake.

If you relate to the signs of sleep apnea, then it is important to see your doctor for diagnosis and your dentist for treatment options. 

Morning Headaches

If you wake up with a headache every morning, you might have sleep apnea. The pain is caused by the way your airway collapses during sleep and forces you to gasp for air as you sleep. This constantly disrupts your sleep cycle and causes you to lose restorative REM sleep throughout the night. Without quality rest, you can experience persistent drowsiness all day long. That can trigger morning headaches that make it difficult to function normally at work or at home. If this sounds like something you're dealing with, talk to your dentist about treating your sleep apnea symptoms so that you can enjoy a better quality of life.

Irritability

Patients are often irritable when they wake up in the morning because they are still tired from the poor quality of rest they experienced the night before. A patient's irritability throughout the day is due to them being tired and feeling physically drained from not getting enough quality sleep at night. An increase in irritability is often one of the first symptoms that a person notices when they have obstructive sleep apnea.

For a comfortable dental experience, please reach out to our dental practice in Manteca, CA, to have a consultation with our family dentist. Please call us at (209) 823-9218 or schedule an online consultation, and we'll guide you further.