Sleep Apnea And Snoring

While snoring is treated as a laughable condition by the general public, few realize the dangers they may face if they have a serious snoring condition. When a snoring problem degenerates, it can turn into sleep apnea, a terrible sleep disorder that can cause numerous bad health effects. If you’re a snorer, it’s important to find out whether or not you may have sleep apnea, a treatable condition that if left untreated can be damaging to your health.

There are a few simple questions to ask yourself if you suspect you may have sleep apnea:

Do you snore on a regular basis? If so, you’re more likely to be have sleep apnea.

Does your snoring wake you or your partner up at night? Again, if your answer is yes, then the chance that you have sleep apnea is quite high. One of the fundamental warning signs for sleep apnea is waking up in the middle of the night, choking or gasping for air. This is due to the fact that apnea occurs when a blockage of the air way occurs to such an extent that it causes you to actually stop breathing for periods of ten seconds or longer.

Do you often experience a lack of good sleep, leading to irritability and an inability to concentrate when the morning comes? Severe cases of sleep apnea can result in the afflicted person waking up as many as 100 times per night, making it difficult to function effectively throughout the day.

Do you often wake up with headaches due to a lack of oxygen?

Have you experienced rapid weight gain, memory loss, depression, changes in your personality, or a short attention span? These are all symptoms that could point to sleep apnea.

If these conditions sound all too familiar, you may want to look into the possibility that you have sleep apnea. Another way to help determine whether or not you may be experiencing sleep apnea is to record yourself breathing while you sleep. If you note frequent breathing cessations, you should consider going to a hospital for a polysomnography test. A polysomnography test consists of an overnight study in which your sleep is monitored, so that a proper diagnosis for sleep apnea can be determined. It’s a harmless test, often covered by insurance carriers.

Another method for pre-diagnosing sleep apnea in the household is to keep a sleep diary. Sleep diaries should be made by your bed partner, and they should consist of a notebook, pen, and flashlight. When your bed partner wakes up in the middle of the night, they should note whether or not you’re snoring, how loud your snoring is, whether you are asleep or not, and whether or not you’re having trouble breathing. This simple notebook can really help you to see the extent of the problem.

Sleep apnea, if left untreated, can lead to an increased risk of heart problems and stroke. That’s why it’s important to diagnose a potential problem early. Snoring can be the first sign in the diagnosis process.

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