Sleep apnea is an extremely commonly seen sleep disorder that affects in excess of 12,000,000 Americans and today is as commonplace as adult diabetes.
The most common type of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea which, as its name indicates, arises from an obstruction to your airways that interferes with breathing. In addition, there is a second type of sleep apnea called central sleep apnea, in which your brain fails to adequately control your breathing during sleep. Many people suffer from mixed sleep apnea, which is a combination of both obstructive and central forms of this sleep disorder.
Sleep apnea symptoms can arise at any time and, although they are most commonly seen in overweight men who are over the age of 40, they can be found in both men and women at any age and are increasingly being seen now in children.
The most noticeable symptom of sleep apnea is snoring which is unfortunately a difficult symptom to spot yourself and generally has got to be pointed out to you by a sleeping partner. Snoring has several different causes and the presence of snoring is not by itself a sign that you have sleep apnea. It is a fact nevertheless that most sufferers do snore.
The second most noticeable symptom of sleep apnea is unusual tiredness during the day. With sleep apnea you stop breathing frequently during sleep and your body's natural reaction to this is to wake you just enough for you to start breathing again, but not enough for you to be aware of the fact that you are being awakened. The result is that your sleep is very light and continually interrupted and you cannot enjoy the deep sleep that the body needs in order to recharge its batteries. As a result, in time, you find that you are becoming more and more tired during the day.
If sleep apnea is left untreated its affects will begin to become increasingly evident and further symptoms will start to appear. These could include headaches (especially first thing in the morning), touchiness and sometimes depression. You might also find that you are starting to put on weight.
One of the not quite so obvious symptoms of sleep apnea is raised blood pressure which can result in a number of cardiovascular difficulties. This will be spotted if you are one of the growing number of people who now monitor their own blood pressure regularly at home but otherwise might not be picked up until you call in for a routine physical exam with your physician.
Yet another symptom is that of learning difficulties and problems with memory. Once more this is not something that is easy to see yourself but other people may notice that you are no longer as quick on the uptake as you once were.
A number of people with sleep apnea will notice a drop in their sexual function and this can result in impotency.
As is the case with with the majority of conditions individual symptoms could be a sign of almost anything. But, if you start to notice these symptoms coming together then you ought to think about consulting your physician and possibly consider being tested for sleep apnea.
A word of caution. Sleep apnea testing will frequently involve referral to a sleep specialist, preferably a specialist who is certified by the American Board of Sleep Medicine (ABSM), and could mean undergoing overnight sleep testing either in a sleep laboratory or at home. This testing will frequently cost upwards of $1,000 and you should check with your health insurance company before committing yourself to any program of sleep apnea testing.By: Donald Saunders
