Sleep Apnea Symptoms Can Be Difficult To Recognize

The symptoms of sleep apnea are most frequently observed in men overweight men above the age of forty but they can appear at any time in both women and men and are being seen increasingly in children.

The most obvious symptom of sleep apnea (which is just one of several common sleep disorders) is snoring which is difficult to spot by yourself and usually has to be brought to your attention by a sleeping partner. There are many reasons for snoring and the mere fact that you snore is not in itself an indication that you are suffering from sleep apnea. It is a fact however that the majority of sleep apnea sufferers do snore.

The second most obvious symptom of sleep apnea is excessive daytime tiredness. People who suffer from sleep apnea stop breathing frequently during sleep and the body's natural reaction is to awaken you sufficiently for you to start breathing again, but not enough for you to be aware that you are being awakened. This means that your sleep is constantly interrupted and thus very light so that you are not enjoying the deep sleep that your body needs. The result of this is that you become increasingly tired during the day.

Left untreated the effects of sleep apnea begin to emerge and you will start to experience additional symptoms that may include headaches (particularly in the morning), tetchiness and even depression. You might also find that you are starting to gain weight.

A further not quite so obvious sign of sleep apnea is a rise in blood pressure which can lead to a number of cardiovascular difficulties. should you be one of the increasing number of people who are starting to monitor their blood pressure at home you should detect this quite easily but, otherwise, it will not be discovered unless you visit the doctor's office for a routine physical.

One further symptom is that of learning difficulties and increasing difficulties with memory retention. Once again this is not something which it is easy for you to spot yourself but other people might well notice that you are no longer as fast on the uptake as you used to be.

Lastly, a number of sleep apnea sufferers will notice a drop in sexual function that can lead to impotency.

Any of these symptoms in isolation could point to just about any problem you can think of. When you start to see these symptoms appearing together however then there is a good chance that you have sleep apnea and you should consult your doctor and consider having a sleep apnea test.