Sleep Apnea Symptoms

Sleep apnea symtoms can disrupt your life and raise your risk for serious health conditions. But getting the right treatment can help you reduce or eliminate your symptoms and protect your health.

Obstructive sleep apnea happens when a throat muscle relaxes too much during sleep, narrowing your airway to the point where it can’t be easily breathed through. As a result, oxygen levels drop and your brain sends a wake-up call to get the muscles working again so you can breathe. This cycle can repeat hundreds of times each night, resulting in broken and restless sleep.

Understanding Sleep Apnea Symptoms and Dental Solutions

People with obstructive sleep apnea may have loud snoring, a dry mouth or sore throat and an unusual taste in their mouth (due to the lack of oxygen). They also may feel tired during the day, even after a good night’s sleep. They can have memory problems, mood swings and lose their appetite. They are more likely to have heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. They are at higher risk of having a stroke or having car accidents.

Central sleep apnea happens when your brain doesn’t signal your chest and throat muscles to breathe, often because of changes in the nerves that control them. It can be caused by many things, including obesity, enlarged tonsils or adenoids, a thick neck, smoking and certain health conditions, such as atrial fibrillation, heart failure, type 2 diabetes, and congestive heart disease. It can also be caused by medications, such as narcotics and some types of antibiotics, or by changes that happen with age.