Sleep Apnea & Snoring
Not everyone who snores has sleep apnea, and not everyone who has sleep apnea snores. So how do you tell the difference between normal snoring and a more serious case of sleep apnea?
Typically, snoring doesn’t interfere with the quality of your sleep as much as sleep apnea does, in other words less likely to suffer from extreme fatigue and sleepiness during the day.
Signs and Symptoms
People suffering from one or more of the following conditions may be at risk and suffer from Apnea.
- Hypersomnia - Excessive daytime sleepiness & tiredness, difficulty in focusing, chronic fatigue.
- Insomnia - trouble falling asleep, or waking up. Insomnia can occur at any age, but it is more common in older patients.
- Narcolepsy - Long pauses in breathing may indicate other sleeping problems.
- Snoring - Loud and chronic snoring is a common sleep disorder that occurs at any age.
Other common side effects of sleep apnea patients are:
- Heart attacks, irregular heart beats or stroke
- High blood pressure
- Heartburn
- Depression
- Diabetes
- Impotence
- Decreased libido
- Headaches, sore throat, or dry mouth in the mornings after waking up dry mouth
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- Impaired concentration
- Learning disabilities
- Daytime sleepiness, including falling asleep at inappropriate times, such as at work, school, or while driving a car
- Irritability
- Frequent cessation of breathing (apnea) during sleep. Your sleep partner may notice repeated silences from your side of the bed
- Choking or gasping during sleep to get air into the lungs
- Loud snoring
- Sudden awakenings to restart breathing
- Waking up in a sweat during the night
The most accurate way to determine if you have sleep apnea is to make an appointment for a consultation. During the consultation a series of questions will be asked in addition to an examination of the airway.