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Sleep Apnea Symptoms Are Not Always Easy To Spot

Sleep apnea is an extremely commonly seen sleep disorder which affects in excess of 12 million Americans and is now as common as adult diabetes.

The most commonly seen form of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea which, as its name implies, arises from an obstruction to your airways which interferes with breathing. In addition, there is another form of sleep apnea called central sleep apnea, in which your brain is unable to adequately control your breathing during sleep. Finally, some people suffer from mixed sleep apnea, which is a mixture of obstructive sleep apnea and central forms of this sleep disorder.

The symptoms of sleep apnea can appear at any time and, although they are most commonly seen in overweight men over forty, they can be found in men and women at any age and are increasingly being seen now in children.

The most obvious symptom of sleep apnea is snoring which is of course a hard symptom to spot yourself and usually needs to be pointed out by a sleeping partner. There can be many reasons for snoring and snoring is not in itself an indication that you are suffering from sleep apnea. It is the case nevertheless that the majority of will snore.

The second most obvious symptom is abnormal daytime tiredness. When you are suffering from sleep apnea you stop breathing regularly during sleep and your body's natural reaction to this is to arouse you just enough to start you breathing again, but not sufficiently so that you are aware of the fact that you are being awakened. The result of this is that your sleep is very light and often interrupted and you cannot enjoy the deep sleep that the body needs to recharge its batteries. Consequently, in time, you find yourself getting ever more tired during the day.

Without treatment, the affects of sleep apnea will start to become more and more evident and additional symptoms will begin to appear. These could include headaches (especially early in the morning), tetchiness and possibly depression. You might also find yourself starting to gain weight.

One less obvious symptom of sleep apnea is raised blood pressure which can result in various cardiovascular difficulties. This will be detected if you are among the growing number of individuals who are now monitoring their own blood pressure regularly at home but otherwise may not be picked up until you call in for a routine physical exam at your physician's office.

Another symptom is that of learning difficulties and difficultues with memory retention. Again this is not something that is easy to detect yourself but others might well notice that you are not as fast on the uptake as you once were.

A few people with sleep apnea will notice a fall in sexual function and this could ultimately lead to impotency.

As is the case with with a lot of conditions individual symptoms by themselves could well be a sign of just about anything. However, when you begin to see these symptoms coming together then you should consider talking to your doctor and think about being tested for sleep apnea.

One word of warning though. Sleep apnea testing will normally mean referral to a sleep specialist, preferably one certified by the American Board of Sleep Medicine (ABSM), and could involve being subjected to overnight sleep testing either in a special sleep laboratory or at home. Such tests can often cost in excess of $1,000 and you should check with your insurer before you commit yourself to a program of sleep apnea evaluation.

Article Source: http://www.bylamoarticles.com

Help-Me-To-Sleep.com offers information and advice on a range of different sleep disorders including sleep apnea and looks at sleep apnea treatment amongst other things. We also look in detail at finding a natural cure for insomnia

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