What are the signs and symptoms of sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea could be quoted as a disease affecting millions and treatment availed by just a few. It’s basically a condition when a person’s breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. This is a severe form of sleep disorder which more than 80% of people go undiagnosed. There are basically 3 form of sleep apnea:

Central sleep apnea- its causes by brain’s incompetence of signaling the respiratory system to breathe.

Obstructive Sleep apnea- its causes by a physical blockage in the air channel, usually caused by your tongue collapsing into the throat with other throat soft tissues.

Complex sleep apnea- It’s a blend of both central and obstructive sleep apnea.

Obstructive sleep apnea is more frequent than its counterparts, as, from the total cases of apnea globally, 85 percent is this one. There are many signs, an affected person shows. These symptoms could be diagnosed at the initial stage and thereafter avail sleep apnea treatment at the opportune time. Some of these signs and symptoms are listed below:

Snoring-
Snoring is identified as a prime symptom of sleep apnea. It’s basically a vibration generated from the upper respiratory system, resulting in a snoring sound. A vast majority of people snore, it doesn’t mean they all have sleep apnea, but it certainly puts them at risk. People don’t really bother about snoring, the take it seriously only when their partner complaints. If your snoring just happens at night and is loud and clear, you might have to visit a physician and get it checked.

Recurrent breaks in sleeping-
It’s been said, the main cause of sleep apnea is due to lack of oxygen while sleeping. If you frequently wake up, disrupting your sleep it’s a sign that you have some illness. In this situation, your brain partially wakes you up to change position and clear the obstructed air path and let the oxygen flow in. A disruptive sleep for a long time can take a toll on your body.

People suffering from sleep apnea often complain about headaches right after they wake up. The above two signs are generally left undetected, as they are not conscious then, so patients complain more about headaches than snoring and sleep interruptions. They are caused by widened blood vessels due to lack of oxygen, triggering a vascular headache.

Obesity-
Obese people are more prone to sleep apnea. They have more fatty tissues and lower muscle tone, resulting in more fatty tissues around their neck and throat area. When you sleep, this excess tissue area falls back into your throat disturbing the oxygen intake path.

High Blood pressure-
When your brain frequently wakes you up at night, it is a desperate attempt to get oxygen. It also restricts the blood vessels to kick-start your system before getting any oxygen. When this happens every night continuously, the same pattern is adopted by the brain and our blood vessels are restricted during normal hours too, generating the problem of high blood pressure and hypertension.