Sleep Apnea: The Facts You Need

It's can be hard to tell if you have sleep apnea. One of the most telling symptoms is loud, irregular snoring. And of course, you can't tell if your snoring is loud and irregular unless someone tells you or you record yourself sleeping. This is one reason why a person could have the disorder and not realize it.

Common symptoms of sleep apnea include:
(1). Daytime sleepiness
(2). Fatigue
(3). No energy
(4). Loud and irregular snoring

The snoring is because of repeated closing if the upper airway. When you inhale, the walls of your airways constrict. Air flows through your airways like water. If the passage becomes too narrow, the air speeds up and becomes turbulent. This leads to the loud snoring. If the passageway becomes entirely too tight, it closes and you stop breathing for a few seconds.

This cycle disrupts your normal sleep pattern. You can wake up hundreds of times during the night without even knowing it. Even if you got 8 hours of sleep, most of those hours may have been restless sleep. At this rate, you may never enter REM sleep, which is necessary for dreaming and restful sleep.

Sleep apnea is usually a family trait. Men also have it more often than women. You can have the disorder at any age, but it's most common in men and women over the age of 40.

Luckily, there's a set of questions that will help you determine if you have sleep apnea. If you answer yes to more than one or two of them, you should consult your doctor. Answering the questions will give you an idea, but you will need official medical tests.

Give yourself this self-test:

(1). Are you overweight or have high blood pressure?
(2). Do you have a hard time breathing through your nose?
(3). Are you irritable, grouchy, depressed, or angry for no reason?
(4). Do you take frequent naps during the day or want to?
(5). Do you wake up tired, even after a full night's sleep?
(6). Do have trouble remembering your dreams?
(7). Have you been told you snore loudly?
(8). Are you restless during the night?

How did you do? Remember, if you answered yes to more than one or two questions, you may have sleep apnea. However, these symptoms could also point to another sleep disorder. See a doctor as soon as possible.

Medical experts aren't entirely sure what causes sleep apnea. The causes have been narrowed down to two possible culprits: a brain abnormality that controls breathing or an airway obstruction. The obstruction is possibly hereditary or because of fat deposits around the airway.

Sleep apnea doesn't get much attention. Although millions of people have it, only a few are receiving treatment. And even worse is that few people realize the dangers associated with the disorder.

How serious is it? People with sleep apnea get less oxygen than people who climb mountains. Yes, it's that serious. Your blood pressure rises, and your heart can stop for a few seconds. Some apnea patients, who have high blood pressure or heart problems, can recover if they receive the proper treatment.