Sleep Apnea - Symptoms and Effects
Sleep ApneaIf you have found yourself like many other people, unsatisfied with the standard medical sleep apnea treatments which treat the symptoms rather than curing the condition, you will have probably been searching for alternative cures for the condition. Whilst everyone knows that those with the condition tend to snore quite heavily, just snoring alone is not enough for a sleep apnea diagnosis. So how do you work out if you or somebody you love has this condition?
Only a medical doctor can do the actual diagnosis, but there are some common symptoms which you can use to determine whether you need to see a doctor for an official diagnosis.
One very common symptom of sleep apnea is a pause in breathing during the night. When this happens it is as if the person that is snoring along quite happily, then holds their breath for a moment, and then carries on snoring again. A loved one may be led to wrongly assume during these moments that they have stopped snoring and that now they can finally fall asleep, but no, this is actually just a moment where the sleep apnea sufferer has actually stopped breathing momentarily. This understandably can be very worrying for the person listening.
Another big symptom is a choking sound in the midst of the snoring. It sounds much like they are gasping for air, and in fact the body is desperately fighting to breathe normally. The choking noises are often accompanied by moments of pause where breathing has stopped. Another common indication of sleep apnea is profuse sweating during the night.
Once you understand what the loud noises that they are making actually mean, it can be quite frightening to sleep next to someone who has sleep apnea. The question of when the choking sound will lead to death or when the pause in snoring will lead to them never breathing again is always in the back of your mind.
While this may lead to the loss of sleep for others sleeping in the same bed as someone with sleep apnea, there are some very real side effects of the condition for the sufferer as well. Most will wake up feeling as if they have not rested at all, despite being asleep for adequate amounts of time for normal restoration. This is because the body is not able to rest and recharge properly when it is continually fighting for each next breath and trying to deal with snoring all night long.
Many sufferers will routinely deal with headaches in the morning and general lack of concentration. It is possible that they have a lot of problems getting through the day mentally and as a result can become irritable. Medically, they may be dealing with high blood pressure and regular heartburn.
It is also common that people with this condition are often morbidly obese and this is one of the main causes of sleep apnea. For these sufferers, snoring and other sleep disorders are a side effect of their weight and they are likely suffering other physical consequences as well. For many people weight loss could be a good cure for sleep apnea, but unfortunately is isn't a cure-all for everyone.
More and more people are now searching for alternative cures for sleep apnea, and they are finding that some alternative treatments are actually delivering more satisfactory results than just being put on a CPAP machine or taking medication to stay awake during the day. If you notice any of these sleep apnea symptoms in someone you love or are suffering with the side effects of the condition yourself, seeking out better sleep apnea treatments should be considered.
As one can see, there are many causes of Sleep Apnea. How many times have you lain awake until the early hours trying to get some much needed sleep, only to be kept awake by your partner's snoring? This happens all too often and is not a laughing matter. You deserve a good night's sleep.