What Are Common Sleep Apnea Symptoms?
Patients with the typical
symptoms of sleep apnea, such as loud snoring, obesity, and excessive daytime sleepiness, should be referred to a specialized sleep center that can perform a test called polysomnography. This test records the patient's brain waves, heartbeat, and breathing during an entire night.
How Is Sleep Apnea Treated?
If sleep apnea is diagnosed, several treatments are available. Mild sleep apnea can frequently be overcome through weight loss or by preventing the person from sleeping on his or her back. Other people may need special devices or surgery to correct the obstruction. People with sleep apnea should never take sedatives or sleeping pills, which can prevent them from awakening enough to breathe.
What Are the Risks of Sleep Apnea?
The frequent awakenings that patients with sleep apnea experience leave them continually sleepy. This may lead to personality changes such as irritability or
depression. Sleep apnea also deprives the person of oxygen, which can lead to morning
headaches, a loss of interest in sex, or a decline in mental function. Sleep apnea is also linked to
high blood pressure, irregular heartbeats, and an increased risk of
heart attack and
stroke. Patients with severe, untreated sleep apnea are two to three times more likely to have automobile accidents than the general population. In some high-risk individuals, sleep apnea may even lead to sudden death from respiratory arrest during sleep.
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