Sleep Apnea And Snoring Differences

While snoring is treated as a laughable situation by the general public, few understand the dangers that they may face if they have a serious snoring condition.

When a snoring problem degenerates, it can turn into sleep apnea, a terrible sleep disorder that can cause numerous bad health effects.

If you are a snorer, it’s significant to find out whether or not you may have sleep apnea, as it is a treatable condition that, if left untreated, can be very damaging to your health. There are a few simple questions to ask yourself when you think you may have sleep apnea.

Do you snore regularly? If so, you are more likely to be afflicted with sleep apnea. If your snoring wakes you or your partner up at night, the chance that you have sleep apnea is quite prevalent.

Main Warning Sign Of Sleep Apnea

Waking up in the middle of the night, choking or gasping for air is one of the main warning signs for a case of apnea. This is due to the fact that apnea occurs when blockage in the air way occurs to such an extent that it causes you to actually stop breathing for periods of ten seconds or longer.

A person with sleep apnea can wake up a number of times throughout the evening, causing them to have a lack of good sleep and leading to irritability and an inability to concentrate when the morning comes. Severe cases of sleep apnea can result in the afflicted person waking up as many as 100 times per night.

Sleep apnea sufferers also often wake up with headaches due to a lack of oxygen, which is another symptom to consider. Other symptoms of sleep apnea to watch for include

• Rapid weight gain
• Memory loss
• Depression
• Changes in personality
• Short attention span

If these conditions sound all too familiar, you may want to look into the possibility that you have sleep apnea. One way to determine whether or not you may have apnea is to record yourself breathing while you sleep with a tape recorder.

Polysomnography Test

If you note frequent breathing cessations, you should consider going to a hospital for a polysomnography test. A polysomnography test consists of an overnight study in which your sleep is monitored, so that a proper diagnosis for apnea can be determined. It is a harmless test, and it is often covered by insurance carriers.

Sleep Diary

Keeping a sleep diary is another method for pre-diagnosing sleep apnea in the household. Sleep diaries should be made by your bed partner, and they should consist of a notebook, pen, and flashlight.

When your bed partner wakes up in the middle of the night, they should note some factors in your sleeping. They should record whether or not you are snoring, how loud your snoring is, whether or not you are having trouble breathing and whether you are asleep or not.

This simple notebook can really help you to see the extent of your problem. Sleep apnea, if untreated, can lead to an increased risk of heart problems and an increased stroke. That’s why it’s significant to diagnose your problem today.