Sleep apnea is a common sleep condition characterized by frequent breathing interruptions during sleep. It is estimated that a whopping 22 million Americans suffer from the condition with 80% of them never diagnosed. That’s why you need to learn a bit more about the condition and have all the facts on it. Continue reading to understand whether or not sleep apnea is to blame for all your sleeping issues.
- 1. There are two types of the condition
Mistakenly, people tend to think of sleep apnea as one health issue. But, there are two separate types of the disorder: obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is more common and occurs as a result of obstructed airflow caused by mucus and other fluids. Central sleep apnea, on the other hand, happens because the brain fails to send the right signals to the muscles involved in breathing.
- 2. Snoring doesn’t always mean you have sleep apnea
Even though loud snoring is the main symptom of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), it doesn’t really always point to the disorder. Snoring is the sound people make in response to obstructed and reduced airflow, i.e., when there’s breathing difficulty, which can happen for many reasons. What’s more, those with central sleep apnea also snore, but not as loud as with OSA.
- 3. There are other symptoms apart from snoring
As we already mentioned, snoring is the most common symptom of sleep apnea. However, the condition manifests other symptoms as well. For example, chronic daytime tiredness is one of them as when breathing interruptions occur the body usually wakes up and tries to reset breathing. As a result of these awakenings, people typically feel exhausted during the day which then leads to mood swings, napping, reduced productivity and focus, etc. Other symptoms include dry mouth in the morning and morning headaches.
- 4. Sedatives increase the risk of sleep apnea
The use of sedatives represses a very important natural primitive reflex that helps people wake briefly. Why is this important? Like we said before, people with obstructive sleep apnea wake up after having an episode of breathing interruption to restore their breathing. And, when taking sedatives, this arousal reflex is suppressed which increases the risk of suffocation.
- 5. Sleep apnea is linked to bruxism
Apart from snoring and the other symptoms we mentioned, frequent jaw and tooth pain could also point to sleep apnea. This is because teeth grinding, medically known as bruxism, is also one of the potential sleep apnea symptoms. Namely, 25% of sleep apnea patients grind their teeth eventually leading to chipped teeth, gum issues, and extreme tooth sensitivity.
- 6. Sleep apnea increases the risk for serious ailments
Last but not least, sleep apnea can, unfortunately, be quite dangerous as it could lead to many serious complications and health issues, especially if it goes undiagnosed or untreated. Some of these ailments include heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and even Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Namely, the lack of oxygen is mainly the number one reason why sleep apnea patients are at a greater risk for these conditions.
To conclude, sleep apnea is far more common than people realize. So, if you suspect you might have the disorder, ensure you consult your doctor as soon as possible to manage and treat the condition successfully and avoid the potential complications that come along with sleep apnea.