While sleeping, oxygen and carbon dioxide levels generally remain stable. But during obstructive sleep apnea episodes, levels drop precipitously as breathing stops automatically because the brain cannot trigger it.
Snoring may not necessarily indicate any underlying medical problems, but if it persists your healthcare provider can conduct tests for sleep apnea. Other symptoms could include excessive daytime fatigue and gasping or choking while sleeping.
1. Difficulty falling asleep
Sleep apnea patients frequently struggle with sleeping due to repeated interruptions during sleep that interrupt breathing, which triggers their brain into inhibiting them from sleeping even though they wish they could.
Problematic daytime fatigue and irritability is often the result of high stress levels at work or relationships; driving can make this situation even worse, creating issues between drivers. Furthermore, having this issue increases one’s risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes and depression as well as decreasing performance at work and relationships.
Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when muscles in the back of the throat relax and block off an airway, usually as a result of natural narrow throat size, being overweight, having large tonsils and adenoids or taking certain medical conditions like hypertension, type 2 diabetes, congestive heart failure and polycystic ovary syndrome increasing your risk. Furthermore, alcohol, sedatives or tranquilizers may further heighten this risk.
If you are having difficulty sleeping, visit a sleep specialist to determine whether sleep apnea may be to blame. Diagnosing and treating both insomnia and sleep apnea will help resolve your sleeping difficulties and improve overall quality of life – this is particularly important as insomnia may be a warning sign of other health conditions and untreated can cause more serious consequences later.
2. Difficulty staying asleep
Maintaining sleep can be challenging with untreated obstructive sleep apnea, which causes breathing to temporarily cease periodically throughout the night and when these interruptions happen your brain signals your awakening.
Central sleep apnea compounds the issue, where your brain fails to send proper signals to your muscles controlling breathing. While less common than its counterpart, central sleep apnea can pose more serious health issues.
Contact your physician immediately if you are experiencing difficulty sleeping or fatigue, so he/she can determine whether these are symptoms of sleep apnea and refer you for additional evaluation, including an overnight study.
People living with obstructive sleep apnea often wake feeling fatigued during the day, can have trouble focusing, and can fall asleep easily while watching television or driving – increasing their risk for work accidents as well as motor vehicle collisions. Children and teenagers living with OSA can perform poorly academically as well as exhibit behavioral problems.
Reduce your risks of obstructive sleep apnea by losing weight, sleeping on your side rather than back and avoiding alcohol prior to sleeping. Other lifestyle changes that could help include quitting smoking and using nasal sprays or adhesive strips to ease congestion; your doctor can suggest other possible treatments depending on the severity of your symptoms.
3. Difficulty waking up
Sleep apnea disrupts your natural sleeping cycles, making it hard to get restful quality rest. Waking up can become challenging; making the daytime tiresome; concentration issues may arise and difficulty remembering things could also arise from this condition. Sleep apnea has also been linked to high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea occurs when breathing is interrupted several times an hour due to a blockage in your airway, usually from obesity, enlarged tonsils or certain health conditions such as hypothyroidism and polycystic ovary syndrome. Obesity, enlarged tonsils or certain health issues like hypothyroidism or polycystic ovary syndrome increase your risk for this form of sleep apnea while central Sleep Apnea occurs less commonly – when brain fails to send signals controlling muscles in throat and chest region which then relaxes to regulate muscles contract when needed for breathing during sleep apnea episodes causing breathing stops every few seconds when necessary – those suffering from cardiovascular issues as well as mental conditions like bipolar disorder or depression are at greater risk.
Long-term sleep apnea can have serious, and potentially lethal, repercussions. You could be at increased risk for heart damage/heart failure/stroke/arrhythmias (like atrial fibrillation). Sleep apnea itself increases your risks for high blood pressure and heart disease even further because irregular heart beat causes extra strain on blood vessels/heart which puts more pressure on them, raising risks for heart attack/stroke as well as making recovering harder from cardiovascular events. Sleep apnea combined with insomnia increases these risks even further.
4. Shortness of breath
Under normal sleeping conditions, oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in your blood remain relatively steady; when there is an unexpected drop or excess in carbon dioxide levels, your brain sends signals to remind you to breathe. But when sleeping apnea interferes with these signals and you experience shortness of breath as your airway narrows while breathing in. Your brain then detects this and briefly awakens you so you can breathe normally again; during these awakenings you often make choking or gasping noises during these brief awakenings.
Sleep apnea’s repeated episodes of interrupted breathing can result in poor quality sleep and fatigue during the day, as well as being linked with being overweight and having medical conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes or heart disease. Furthermore, those living with sleep apnea are likely to be obese with naturally narrow airways as well as any medical issues like enlarged tonsils or adenoids which block airways – these factors compound over time to lead to decreased quality restful sleep and fatigue during daily activity. obstructive sleep apnea patients are more likely to be obese while having medical conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes or heart disease; furthermore they tend to have higher blood pressure, diabetes or heart disease than others do.
Sleep apnea can lead to memory and concentration difficulties that interfere with daily tasks like driving or working at an office, leading to workplace safety concerns as well as motor vehicle accidents. Children suffering from obstructive sleep apnea may perform poorly in school due to attention or behavior issues as a result. Severe chronic daytime fatigue may contribute to feelings of irritability or depression as a result. Untreated, it could even contribute to coronary artery disease, stroke, heart failure or arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms); seizures in those living with epilepsy even when taking medications that reduce seizures.
5. Snoring
Snoring may be a telltale sign of the more serious sleep disorder obstructive sleep apnea. With this condition, your airway becomes blocked or collapses while sleeping (often by tongue or throat muscles), leading to breathing pauses and lower oxygen levels in your blood. These repeated interruptions may place strain on the heart and increase high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke risks as well as reduce quality sleep quality making it hard for you to perform at work or school, contributing to arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation which stops flow from upper left chamber of heart chamber.
Snoring can often be traced back to poor muscle tone in the throat and tongue, caused by being overweight, drinking alcohol or taking certain medications. Bulky throat tissue can also contribute to this issue; children with enlarged tonsils or adenoids often exhibit this symptom as well as having long soft palates or uvulas that reduce opening between nose and mouth and increase snoring.
Sleep studies, whether in-lab or at home, are the ideal way to identify sleep apnea. A professional diagnosis requires testing in either setting; once confirmed, this information allows treatment plans and lifestyle modifications that might help your symptoms such as weight loss, stopping smoking and alcohol consumption, wearable devices that keep throat open during sleep time or taking medication to manage symptoms to take place effectively. For severe cases of snoring surgery may also be an option.
6. Fatigue
Some individuals suffering from sleep apnea report feeling exhausted and unrefreshed upon awakening, possibly as a result of their snoring interfering with getting enough restful sleep, or from being disturbed by short pauses in breathing that disturb their rest quality. They also sometimes have trouble focusing on tasks and often seem disoriented or forgetful – leaving them feeling moody or even depressed during waking hours.
People living with obstructive sleep apnea have an increased risk of high blood pressure, obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Furthermore, their risk increases significantly for high cholesterol, heart attacks or strokes as well as atrial fibrillation (an irregular heart rhythm condition). Furthermore, their eyes and gums may be at increased risk of infection as their body struggles to get enough oxygen resulting in blue tinted lips or eyes known as “cyanosis.”
Sleep apnea can make it hard to concentrate, which may have serious repercussions for job performance and personal relationships. You may also suffer memory problems, dry mouth or sore throat symptoms and needing to urinate frequently at night.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is one of the most widespread forms of breathing disorders and poses serious health risks if left untreated. OSA increases your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, cholesterol levels, glucose levels, metabolic syndrome and depression – not to mention car accidents, work injuries and high blood pressure in lungs/other organs/deteriorated arteries and valves.
