Do You Have Sleep Apnea?

Don’t Let Sleep Apnea Disrupt Your Life

Sleep is one of the essential tools that everyone uses to get through the rest of the day. Without it, we are at risk for a number of health problems. Sleep apnea is one of the most common sleep disorders that 20 million U.S. adults deal with. Of those adults, 80% of them are undiagnosed. Many people are unaware that they have a sleep disorder or that the disorder is causing other health problems. Sleep apnea can be treated before severe consequences arise, but it must be recognized first.

Why Is Sleep Apnea So Scary?

Sure, sleep apnea often leads to snoring, which can be annoying, but beyond that, it is a breathing disorder while you are asleep. There are three main forms of sleep apnea: central sleep apnea (CSA), obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and complex or mixed sleep apnea. CSA causes pauses in breathing when the brain doesn’t signal the body to breathe. OSA or Obstructive Sleep Apnea interrupts the breathing through physical blockages in the airways. And Complex or Mixed Sleep Apnea is a combination of the other two forms of sleep apnea. Overall, sleep apnea causes you to pause or stop breathing while you are asleep, which is never a good thing.

Signs You Might Have Sleep Apnea

If you wonder about sleep apnea and the issues it can bring to your life, watch for these signs and get to an ENT doctor as soon as you can.

Snoring

Many people snore, but if your snoring is loud and chronic, sleep apnea could be the cause. If you snore every night and it disrupts your sleep, see your physician.

Pauses In Breathing

You may not know that you have pauses in your breathing, but your partner will likely notice, especially if you are snoring and suddenly stop.

Frequent Tiredness

Sleep apnea causes to be tired throughout the day, even if you get 7-9 hours of sleep. When you are drowsy all day, nothing goes right and you can even cause accidents.

Waking Up With Headaches

It’s not uncommon for headaches to develop later in the day due to stress or a number of reasons, but when you wake up with them, it could be because of the low level of oxygen in your body due to sleep apnea.

High Blood Pressure

Hypertension is often linked to sleep apnea so if you have high blood pressure, get checked for sleep apnea as well.

Depression And Irritability

Whenever you have a lack of sleep, it can affect your mood. Losing sleep on a nightly basis makes you irritable and you might even get depressed.

Get Help Soon With Breathe Clear Institute

It’s not a good idea to go through another night of bad sleep when you have sleep apnea. And there’s no reason to live with it or its debilitating symptoms. If you are concerned you might have sleep apnea, visit with the ENT physicians at Breathe Clear Institute and get to the bottom of the situation. You’ll get a better quality of sleep and have more energy.