Sleep apnea can reveal its presence in a number of ways, and each patient may have a unique combination of symptoms. If you experience any of the following recurring:
- Excessive daytime sleepiness
- Morning headaches/migraines (may also signify a jaw joint problem known as TMJ/TMD). Our dentists are also experienced in neuromuscular dentistry)
- Short term memory problems
- Weight gain
- Tiredness
- Gastric reflux
- Dry mouth
- Sore throat
- Slow metabolism
- Inability to lose weight
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Depression
- Severe Anxiety
- Memory and concentration difficulties
- ADD and ADHD symptoms
- Intellectual deterioration
- Mood swings/temperamental behavior
- Poor job performance or problems in school
- Mouth breathing
- Restlessness and tossing and turning during sleep
- Impotence
- Decreased sex drive
- Difficult nose breathing
- Choking/gasping sensation that wakes you up
- Insomnia
- Inability to sleep through the night
- Heavy Snoring (more common in patients with obstructive sleep apnea, rather than central sleep apnea)
The most common sign of sleep apnea is excessive daytime tiredness. At the Illinois Institute of Dental Sleep Medicine, we offer a simple test that can give us a good indication of whether you have sleep apnea or not.
People most likely to have or develop sleep apnea include those who snore, are overweight, or have high blood pressure. Another concern would be people who have some physical abnormality in the nose such as (deviated septums), throat, or other parts of the upper airway.
Another easy marker is neck-size. A study of professional football players in the Super Bowl Study turned up astonishing results, as 34% of linemen in that game were diagnosed with sleep disordered breathing, which is roughly 8 times the average. A neck size of 17″ or larger is a good indicator of this disorder, and it doesn’t matter if it’s muscle or fat.
Sleep apnea can be hereditary. If your mother and father have sleep apnea, it’s fairly likely that you will have it. In fact, if you have children, you might keep this in mind, paying specific attention to whether or not they still have their tonsils and adenoids.
If you have sleep apnea, you aren’t the only one being affected by the symptoms. Your bed partner may also suffer from your snoring, or see signs of what sleep apnea has done to you. Recently, a condition known as “secondary snoring” has been researched, and has been shown to cost the bed partner of a snorer an average of 1.5 hours of sleep each night. Snoring, in fact, has also been shown to be a leading cause of divorce.
Nocturnal signs and symptoms associated with OSA include drooling, dry mouth, sleep restlessness, witnessed apneas, choking or gasping and sweating.
If you experience any of these sleep apnea symptoms please call or email us today. Ignoring the signs of sleep apnea can result in serious health risks including heart disease, stroke, heart attack, hypertension, diminished concentration and job ability, and automobile accidents. Sleep apnea in children has also been linked to academic underachievement and poor intellectual development,