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Sleep apnea can exist for years without being diagnosed. This is because the sleep disorder manifests itself only during sleep, just when the person suffering from it is totally out of the bounds of consciousness and doesn’t actually notice the irregularities. On the other hand, their bed partner may take the snoring and snorting to be a normal occurrence.

An undiagnosed case of sleep apnea, however, can be irritating and fatal all at the same time. Those who have it can experience as simple a condition as fatigue and as life-threatening a condition as heart disease. But the question is, how can one be so sure if they or their loved one is already having bouts of sleep apnea? There are warning signs to look out for, and they come as sleep apnea symptoms.

Red Flag: The signs and symptoms

Sleep apnea requires prompt attention. If the following symptoms surface, a consultation with a doctor or a sleep specialist must immediately take place.

1. Snoring. Not everyone who snores has sleep apnea, but snoring is typical to those who suffer from the sleep disorder. Loud and chronic snoring is ordinarily accompanied by grunts, snorts, gasps for breath, and restless movements.

2. Breathing irregularities. Sleep apnea renders a person to have breath pauses that lead to frequent and brief silences during sleep, but which then break into loud snoring. It is the bed partner who notices these breath intervals.

3. Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). It is described as the unordinary and persistent sleepiness. People experiencing EDS normally feel the urge to, and sometimes involuntarily fall asleep for brief moments many times during the day and when performing daily itinerary such as eating, talking over the phone, and driving. Over time, EDS becomes a threat to someone’s performance at work and in school because it usually weakens a person’s competency to complete tasks.

4. Daytime fatigue. Due to disrupted sleep, people with sleep apnea normally feel tired as though they haven’t slept the night before. It then results in forgetfulness, lack of concentration, and learning difficulties. Mood changes are also apparent, causing the person to become irritable and anxious.

5. Depression. Although it is not clear how exactly sleep apnea contributes to depression, it is said that people with the sleep disorder are five times more prone to developing depression. Sleep apnea is also reported to aggravate an existing case of depression.

6. Morning headaches. People suffering from sleep apnea wake up with morning headaches. In fact, statistics says that headaches occur in approximately half of the people with sleep apnea. Headaches at night are also reported.

7. Other symptoms. People with sleep apnea have a frequent need to urinate at night and experience excessive sweating when asleep. Upon waking up, they tend to have a dry throat. Sexual dysfunction is also observed from people with sleep apnea.

Experts suggest that the more sleep apnea symptoms present in a person and the more intense they are, the more severe their case of sleep apnea is. Undergoing sleep tests and treatment,is then necessary. But because it is hard for a potential patient to observe any of these symptoms from themselves, the bed partner is put in a place of greater accountability.

Any suspected case of sleep apnea should not be taken for granted. Rather, it should be monitored extensively.

Sleep apnea can be both a dangerous and serious health concern, especially if it gets worse as time goes by. However, people affected by this form of sleep disorder should not worry too much. That is because there are many different types of treatment easily available. The sufferer need only go to the doctor, who specializes in such health problems.

It is important to note that there are two key goals in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. Firstly, restoring regular breathing, especially during sleeping hours and secondly, to relieve basic symptoms like daytime sleepiness and loud snoring during sleep. It may also be satisfying to know, for most sleep apnea sufferers, that available treatment for the condition could also significantly reduce medical problems, that are directly linked to the sleeping disorder. Such diseases include hypertension, diabetes, and heart ailments.

Basic treatment options for sleep apnea include, mouthpieces, breathing devices, lifestyle changes, and surgery. There are still no regulatory approved medicines, that are specifically aimed at sleep apnea treatment. As mentioned, the best initial step to attain an effective treatment for the sleep disorder, is to approach a specialist or doctor and discuss the most suitable treatment options available to you.

Mouthpieces for sleep apnea are often called oral appliances. They can specifically help sufferers of mild sleep apnea. Such instruments are usually recommended to people who snore very loudly, whether they have sleep apnea or not. Orthodontists and dentists, often custom-make plastic mouthpieces to treat sleep apnea. These objects help adjust the lower jaw and the tongue, so that your airways are kept open even during sleep. However, a fair amount of pain or discomfort may be caused by these devices. Periodic visits to the doctor are often necessary.

There are also more advanced breathing devices available for treating sleep apnea. Severe cases in adults, often call for the use of CPAP or continuous positive airway pressure. This is a special machine, which uses a mask, fitted over the nose and mouth, which gently blows air into the throat. This air presses against the airway wall. Air pressure is then adjusted, so that narrowing of the airway is prevented and blockage problems are eliminated. CPAP should ideally be set up and installed by a technician.

To treat sleep apnea effectively, you should also endeavour to make several lifestyle changes, specifically:

1. Reduce your intake of alcohol and sleeping pills, as such substances make it harder for the throat to remain open during sleep.

2. Lose weight, especially if you are obese or overweight.

3. Try sleeping on your side instead of on your back, as doing so can help keep your throat open and make breathing easier.

4. Stop smoking.

5. Keep your nasal passages wide open all night, through the use of nose sprays and allergy medicines.

Finally, if all else fails, you could possibly opt for the more drastic option of surgery. This is performed to further widen a person’s breathing passages. Such an operation usually comprises of shrinking, stiffening, and removing excess tissue, located in the throat or mouth, in addition to resetting the lower jaw. In some cases, tonsils are also removed.

People who are busy with their work are usually the ones who are having problems with sleep. This is because the exhaustion together with their hectic schedule, prevents them from getting proper sleep on a daily basis. If you are having trouble sleeping, due to too much work, the time has come to reflect what might be causing this and address the problem properly.

One of the things that stops people from getting proper sleep, is the type of food that they eat. This is because, these foods might contain ingredients and other properties that can really affect the person’s chemical balance. If you think that the foods that you are eating are affecting  your sleeping patterns, try assessing your food intake for a day.

What you can do, is list down all the food and drink that you have consumed during the day and make an assessment at the end of it. In this way, you can track down which different  foods and drinks are affecting your sleeping habits, especially at night. The following, are just a few examples of some of the foods that might cause problematic and uncomfortable sleeping patterns during the night.

1. Too much food intake. This is considered as the major reason, as to why many people—especially those who haven’t had sleeping problems before—are having a hard time sleeping all of a sudden. Experts say, that if a person has overeaten, the tendency is that the stomach will have a much harder time digesting it. Too much food, may also affect  the workings of the digestive system and may even cause clinical conditions, such as ulcers, if done regularly.

2. Foods that contain too much fat. Experts say, that people eating foods that have too much fat, are prone to not sleeping well at night, because it creates a lot of work for the stomach. If you want to get better sleep, you should cut down on foods that are too rich or fatty, so there will be less work for the stomach to do, especially during the night.

3. Too much spicy or acidic foods. These foods can greatly affect your sleeping habits especially at night time. If you eat too much spicy food, especially at night, it can lead to trouble with your stomach and even heartburn, which makes it harder for you to lie down and get a proper night’s sleep.

4. Too much alcohol intake. Some people say that alcohol may help you to get better sleep, but on the contrary, it doesn’t, especially if you have consumed too much of it.

5. Foods that contain caffeine. These are another source of peril for people who are having trouble sleeping. If you are prone to not sleeping, it is best to avoid foods, as well as drinks that have high caffeine content such as coffee, chocolates, sodas that are caffeinated and tea. To get better sleep, it is best not to consume these for a while. Or, if you really cannot do without these, try minimizing your consumption, even for a couple of days. Once you get your sleeping pattern back, you may go back to consuming these, but only in small quantities, so you don’t go back to having sleeping problems again.

Sleep apnea is usually considered as chronic or ongoing. It is a condition that often leads to disrupted sleep and could happen to a person for  three or more nights every single week. The affected person often suddenly moves out of deep sleep and goes into a very light sleep, as breathing pauses or becomes very shallow. It is also observed, that when the person resumes normal breathing after a sleep apnea attack, they create a loud choking sound or snort.

It could result in poor quality sleep, making the person tired and restless all day. The condition has been identified by experts, as among the main causes of inevitable and excessive daytime sleepiness. Contrary to what others usually think, sleep apnea is not normal. It could be very risky. If you are diagnosed with the condition, it would be wise and best if you temporality gave up daytime driving and operating heavy machinery at work.

In many cases, the sleep disorder is undiagnosed. It is because doctors are not able to detect the problem during routine clinic visits. No form of blood, urine, or stool test can point out the presence of the problem. It is best if you could discover the condition on your own. You could ask your bed partner or roommates about the snore and noise you make during your sleeping hours. You could take it from there.

It is estimated that in the United States alone, over 12 million of the adult population could be experiencing obstructive sleep apnea. It is also noted, that about half of such people have one common condition: they are overweight. Thus, many researchers and experts could not help themselves but  to associate or link sleep apnea with excessive weight problem or obesity. This makes the condition a risk factor, for any person to develop or suffer from sleep apnea. 

Race could also be a factor in the occurrence of sleep apnea. Studies highlight that Pacific Islanders, African Americans and Hispanics are more likely to have sleep apnea. In the same line, it has been found that Caucasians are less likely to suffer from it. The sleeping disorder could also be hereditary. That means that if someone in your immediate family has a history of sleep apnea, chances are higher that you would also develop the problem.

There are several types of sleep apnea. The most common of such is obstructive sleep apnea. It is noted that when the condition happens, the airway collapses or gets blocked during sleep. This blockage may lead to breathing pauses or shallow breathing. Loud snoring is produced when air squeezes past this blockage.

The obstructive type of sleep apnea is often manifested by overweight people, though experts warn that it could also affect anyone. Central sleep apnea is less common. This type is caused by slight malfunction of the brain, specifically the signals sent normally to muscles in the throat, mouth, or airway passages for breathing.

Available treatment could help improve overall health and quality I
of sleep. Basic options available to treat sleep apnea are mouthpieces, breathing devices, lifestyle adjustments, and surgical operations. You  always have the option to choose which treatment to take based on your comfort, budget, and preference.