Common Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a serious medical condition in which the soft tissue in the airway collapses during sleep and blocks the airway. The condition causes a person to awaken several times, partially throughout the night, which disrupts their sleep cycle. Here are the common symptoms of this condition:

Loud Snoring

One of the most common symptoms of sleep apnea is loud, chronic snoring. This occurs due to the tissues in the throat and mouth blocking air from getting into the lungs. The obstruction can cause the tissue to vibrate and create the sound of snoring. Your partner will often become frustrated with your snoring, especially because it can occur throughout the night.

If you or your partner experiences these symptoms, it is best to set up a consultation with a dentist about treatment options. Since this condition causes major disruptions to sleep quality and sleep cycles, it only makes sense to seek treatment. 

Interrupted Breathing During Sleep

One of the symptoms of sleep apnea includes interrupted breathing while sleeping. This may happen due to repeated narrowing and opening of your airways throughout the night. Many people with sleep apnea snore loudly, but that isn’t the only way to tell if you have it. Some people who experience the symptoms of sleep apnea don’t even know they have the condition. Over time, untreated sleep apnea can lead to even more severe health issues such as heart disease or diabetes. That’s why it’s important to talk to your dentist about your symptoms and find out how to treat them.

Daytime Drowsiness and Fatigue

Excessive sleepiness during the day is a symptom of sleep apnea. In fact, the disorder is more common in men than women—but it can affect women too, and the symptoms are just as strong. For men, the most common cause of daytime fatigue is obstructive sleep apnea; for women, it’s often due to another sleep-related breathing disorder known as upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS). Fatigue can also be a sign of other medical conditions like depression or anemia.

Morning Headaches

If you have sleep apnea, you may experience severe morning headaches. These types of headaches are different than the typical tension headache that you experience after a long day at work. Instead, they’re usually described as throbbing or even pounding pain in your head that gets worse when you wake up from sleeping. You may also notice other symptoms like congestion and eye irritation or redness. These symptoms are caused by the lack of oxygen at night that affects your sinuses, eyes, and brain.

The good news is that these symptoms can go away with treatment, and you may be able to prevent them altogether by getting a CPAP machine. This medical device will keep your airways open while you sleep so that you can get the medical treatment you need. However, it’s important to be aware of the other potential causes of your headaches so you can get to the source of the problem and treat it right away.

If you want to know more about sleep apnea, schedule a consultation with our dentist in Spanish Fork, UT, by calling us at (385) 448-1500 or book your appointment online. We will be happy to guide you further.