How was your sleep last night? Sleep is a necessary part of a healthy life. Without adequate sleep, your body can not heal and regenerate from the rigors of everyday life. Do you snore when you sleep? Do you often wake in the morning feeling unrefreshed, as if you haven’t even rested at all? Do you suffer from morning headaches or daytime sleepiness? These are symptoms of a condition called Sleep Apnea. Left undiagnosed and untreated, sleep apnea can cause a host of other issues, some of which can be fatal. It is imperative to learn the symptoms of sleep apnea and discuss with your physician if you feel like you might have this condition.

What Is Sleep Apnea

Sleep Apnea is a serious medical condition where a patient stops breathing and re-starts many times throughout the night. Some patients stop breathing hundreds of times per hour. It is characterized by loud snoring while sleeping and even patterns of breathing cessation. Abrupt awakenings that are followed by shortness of breath and waking with a sore throat or dry mouth are also symptoms of sleep apnea. Waking with a headache in the morning, irritability, and sleepiness during the day are signs of sleep apnea. As are memory issues and insomnia. Any symptoms severe enough to interfere with your day are a reason to consult with your physician.

Why is Sleep Apnea Dangerous

Sleep apnea alone is considered a dangerous medical condition. Complications from daytime fatigue, irritability, and moodiness can affect interpersonal relationships and productivity. Sleep apnea can exacerbate or even cause other serious health issues such as high blood pressure or heart problems. Obstructive sleep apnea can also increase the risk of stroke. People who have sleep apnea are more predisposed to developing insulin resistance which can lead to type 2 Diabetes. People who already have diabetes can find the condition worsened by sleep apnea as quality sleep is necessary to maintain the balance needed to produce and process insulin in the body. People with sleep apnea are more likely to have abnormal results on liver function tests, and their livers are more likely to show signs of scarring. This is a condition known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Sleep apnea can also interfere with nearly any other illness or disorder, even common colds and viruses as the body need sleep to repair and regenerate. If the body isn’t able to rest effectively then the healing process is greatly slowed down.

How is Sleep Apnea Diagnosed

Sleep apnea is generally diagnosed through sleep testing in some form of a sleep study. Traditionally this required a trip overnight to a lab where your breathing and other bodily functions were monitored during the sleeping test. For patients who do not wish to or can not do a sleep study in a traditional lab study, there is now the option to do an at-home sleep study. These in-home sleep studies usually involve measuring your heart rate, blood oxygen level, airflow and breathing patterns. If you have sleep apnea, the test results will show drops in your oxygen level during apneas and subsequent rises with awakenings. These are the same functions that are monitored in a traditional sleeping test. The cost of a home sleep study is generally covered by insurance.

Your Diagnosis is the Beginning

Sleep apnea is a serious disease that can have potentially fatal outcomes if left undiagnosed and untreated. If you suspect sleep apnea, the sooner you talk to your physician about sleep testing the closer you are to formulating a treatment plan for this disease. Your sleep test results will help your doctor decide what the best course of action is for you. The decision to talk to your doctor about sleep testing, whether you choose to do a traditional in-lab sleep study or an at-home sleep study, could be the conversation that saves your life.

VirtuOx is the leader in home sleep tests and pulse oximetry.