Signs and Symptoms of Sleep Apnea in adults

Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a common sleep disorder that causes problematic breathing during the sleep. This happens due to the blockage in the airway that restricts the amount of air reaching the lungs. Therefore, people with sleep apnea snore loudly and sometimes even make choking noises while asleep. This is due to the shortage of oxygen in the body and the brain which also wakes the patient up even during the middle of the night, making it even more difficult to fall asleep again.

In many cases, an apnea is a result of a collapsing tissue at the back of the throat. Quite a time as we sleep on our back, given the gravity, the tongue falls back. This narrows the path for the passage of the oxygen in the body, restricting the oxygen in the lungs and again resulting in snoring.

Mostly people suffering from sleep apnea never get diagnosed or do not consider a medical treatment which causes a lot of problems in their body. Sleep apnea can be diagnosed after a sleep test or a home test. If left untreated, this can lead to long term and even life- threatening problems. While the most common treatment for sleep apnea is Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), patients now prefer to opt for oral appliance for sleep apnea.

Here are some signs and symptoms of severe sleep apnea in adults:

·         Snoring- Snoring is the most common and noticeable sign of sleep apnea. Snoring goes mostly unheard by the patient and creates trouble mostly the bed partner. However, in some cases, snoring can get too loud and even wake up the snorer. Snoring can be a result of many problems and not necessarily sleep apnea but it is still better to get the check-up done in case of heavy and regular snoring. 

 ·        Daytime sleepiness- People suffering from sleep apnea do not get proper sleep during the night which makes them feel drowsy and tired during the day. The patient feels constantly drained out of energy and extremely sleepy while carrying on any work during the day. Sometimes the patient doesn’t even get to know when he falls asleep during the day because it is so sudden.

·         Night walking – Many people suffering from sleep wake up suddenly during the night and find themselves struggling to breathe. This is because of the shortage of oxygen in the body. It is a risky situation and can sometimes get too frightening for the patient. That’s why it is better to consider an oral appliance for sleep apnea and prevent any chances of strokes or attacks in the night.

·         Mood changes- When the body is constantly not getting proper sleep, the person suffering from sleep apnea becomes quite irritating. Difficulty in falling asleep at night makes him feel exhausted during the day and might slowly result in the condition of depression for the patient.

·         Lack of concentration- Sleep trouble and the lack of concentration are closely related to each other. The inability to fall asleep during the night and have proper rest for days makes the person suffering from it cranky and easily irritable. The patient feels exhausted during the day and wants to have proper sleep. This breaks the attention span of the patients to quite low and make it difficult for him to keep the concentration.

If any of the mentioned signs can be read by the patient, then he must visit a doctor and consider oral appliance treatment or CPAP. It is an easier choice to opt for oral appliance for sleep apnea, but it suggested that the patient chooses whatever he is comfortable with as it would still be a task to fall asleep quietly at night.