Understanding Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is something many know about but don’t fully understand. That leads to an underdiagnosis because many don’t see that they are exhibiting symptoms like snoring or waking up in the middle of the night.
Around one billion people globally have sleep apnea – where you stop breathing and then restart it in your sleep – with many undiagnosed. Most of those, approximately 936 million, are between the ages of 30 and 69. Of the global total, approximately 30 million live in the U.S. However, only 6 million have an official diagnosis.
Sleep Apnea Symptoms
The problem with diagnosing sleep apnea is that the symptoms can be attributed to other things or considered normal. Symptoms include loud snoring, daytime sleepiness, and dry mouth. Snoring is also related to heart issues, and dry mouth is a symptom of diabetes. Daytime sleepiness could just be a break in your biorhythm or hormonal changes, as many peri-menopausal and menopausal women experience that.
Sleep apnea becomes more apparent as a cause when symptoms are pieced together with other occurrences, and understanding your health history to rule out other causes.
Daytime Sleepiness
One of the first strong indicators that your sleep is being interrupted. With sleep apnea, breathing issues can still disturb your sleep even though you may not fully wake up in the night. Those who feel chronically excessively tired are clearly having poor quality sleep.
Dry Mouth & Snoring
Waking up with a consistently dry mouth in the morning could indicate you have sleep apnea. Those with sleep apnea breathe through their mouth, causing dryness. This is where snoring becomes a symptom, as those who snore breathe through their mouth and wake up with a dry mouth.
Morning Headaches
Constant morning headaches may be associated with sleep apnea. These headaches, when seen alongside other symptoms like snoring or sleep disruption, further signal that irregular breathing during sleep could be the cause.
Night Waking
One certain indicator of sleep apnea is often waking up during the night. Many people think they are awakened because they need to go to the bathroom, but doctors state the real reason they wake up is that they momentarily stop breathing because of sleep apnea.
Choking or Gasping
More severe cases involve waking up choking or gasping. Your throat may feel excessively dry and tight, and you have trouble breathing. A drink of water or a throat spray relieves the symptom, but not the cause. The cause is likely sleep apnea.
The Dangers of Untreated Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea can be life-threatening if left untreated. It is linked with serious health issues like heart problems and high blood pressure. It can cause sudden cardiac death and doubles the risk of heart issues. It can more than double your stroke risk and leave you with other chronic health issues.
Getting Diagnosed for Sleep Apnea
While there are numerous at-home tests that claim to diagnose sleep apnea, a true diagnosis requires a medical evaluation and a sleep study. It starts with an appointment with your primary care doctor, who will evaluate your symptoms, look at your medical history, and study your current health conditions. Your regular dental exam is often where the first red flags — worn enamel from grinding, persistent dry mouth — get spotted.
They may use a questionnaire called the Epworth Sleepiness Scale to evaluate your symptoms.
Sleep Study Process
Your doctor may put you in touch with a sleep study clinic, which is the most common way to diagnose sleep apnea. The clinic will give you a machine that can monitor your sleep either at a facility or at home. It checks for breathing patterns, your blood oxygen levels, your heart rate, brain activity, eye movements, and muscle reactions.
All of these show whether you have sleep apnea and the severity of it. Doctors use a scale called the Apnea Hypopnea Index (AHI) to determine sleep apnea. More than five episodes an hour in sleep is considered a confirmed sleep apnea diagnosis.
Treatments for Sleep Apnea
A wide range of sleep apnea treatments exists and can range from simple solutions you can do without a lot of intervention to the use of medical equipment. The treatments suggested by your doctor depend on your current lifestyle, the root cause of your sleep apnea, and its severity.
Lifestyle Changes
In some cases, solutions can be as simple as losing weight, quitting smoking, or reducing alcohol consumption. Your doctor may start with the simplest, easiest solutions first, especially if your sleep apnea is caught early.
CPAP Machine
A common treatment for more serious cases is the CPAP machine, where a machine pumps air into a mask you wear to improve breathing. It prevents your airways from closing down, improves your sleep, and reduces the risk of other health issues linked to sleep apnea.
Alternative Treatments
Other treatments include using a mandibular advancement device, or a gum shield that holds your airways open all night, tonsil surgery, facial exercises, and hypoglossal nerve stimulation.
Seek Help for Sleep Apnea
It is important to seek help for sleep apnea early, considering the impact it could have on your health, including its life-threatening nature. Those who have questions about sleep apnea can call us. We are happy to answer them so you can get the treatment you need.