5 Signs You Have Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a serious medical condition that affects millions of people worldwide. Many people with sleep apnea are not even aware that they suffer from the condition, as the symptoms can often go unnoticed or become attributed to other causes. Identifying sleep apnea is essential for maintaining good health and improving the quality of your life.
Here are five significant signs that you may have sleep apnea:
- Loud snoring throughout the night
One of the most noticeable symptoms is the occurrence of loud and chronic snoring throughout the night. Snoring, on its own, may not necessarily indicate sleep apnea, but it is a strong risk factor. In sleep apnea, the soft tissues in the throat block the air passage, causing the snoring sound. Individuals with sleep apnea may experience long periods of silence, followed by gasping or choking noises as they resume breathing. The cycle of snoring and gasping can repeat many times during the night, severely affecting the quality of sleep significantly.
- Waking up feeling exhausted
When someone with sleep apnea experiences an episode of interrupted breathing, their body is forced to briefly wake up in order to restore proper breathing. These interruptions can occur hundreds of times throughout the night, leading to very fragmented sleep cycles that do not allow for the deep, restful sleep that our bodies need to function at their best. This lack of quality sleep can have numerous negative effects on a person’s physical and mental health, including chronic fatigue. So, even if someone gets 8 hours of “sleep”, they can still wake up feeling exhausted.
- Waking up with a headache or sore throat
One of the often-overlooked symptoms of sleep apnea is waking up with a headache or sore throat. This happens as a result of the decrease in oxygen levels experienced by the body when a person with sleep apnea stops breathing while asleep. The body’s stress response is then triggered, leading to inflammation and irritation in the nasal passages and sinuses. Over time, this inflammation can create a vicious circle, leading not only to headaches and sore throats, but also to further sleep disturbances and health issues.
- Difficulty concentrating during the day
Research has shown that sleep apnea can have a significant impact on cognitive function, leading to difficulty concentrating, being forgetful, or experiencing brain fog. In fact, individuals with sleep apnea often exhibit a decline in memory, executive functioning, and attention span. Moreover, sleep apnea has been linked to an increased risk of developing cognitive impairments such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
- Changes in mood—including irritability, depression, and anxiety
Individuals with sleep apnea may find themselves feeling overwhelmed, angry, and unable to handle daily stressors due to a lack of quality, restful sleep. The links between sleep apnea and mood are well-documented, with research showing that individuals with the condition experience higher rates of mood disorders compared to those without. The exact mechanisms underlying these mood changes are still not entirely understood. However, it is believed that sleep apnea disrupts the body’s natural rhythms, leading to imbalances in hormones and neurotransmitters that regulate mood.
Treatment is easy!
If you believe that you have sleep apnea, get in touch with one of our healthcare providers to learn about how AIRLIFT can change your life. AIRLIFT is easy to implant, comfortable, and covered by insurance. The AIRLIFT procedure can be performed in as little as 30 minutes by a physician in an outpatient setting.
