What Are The Signs And Symptoms* of Sleep Apnea?
The most common symptom of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is excessive daytime sleepiness. We’re not talking about sleep deprived new parents, or being tired after a long trip, extreme exercise or staying up late drinking wine with your friends. We’re talking about feeling sleepy and feeling as if you may nod off in meetings, watching TV, driving etc.
If you feel sleepy during the day, drink a number of cups of coffee to stay awake and alert during work hours or people tell you that you look tired you may want to take our Epworth sleep apnea self-test. This way you can better gauge your sleepiness and discuss it with Dr. Rader.
Sleep Apnea can cause sleepiness, headaches, even heartburn
Many people don’t realize how much our sleep cycle can impact our overall health from dental health to feeling depressed and irritable. A good night of sleep can change the way you feel and look at the world. Here is a brief list of documented* symptoms of sleep apnea:
- Sleepiness and Sleep Apnea
- Irregular Breathing in Sleep
- Snorring / Sleep Apnea
- Sleep Apnea Headaches
- Teeth Grinding – Bruxism
- Gastric Reflux
- Night Time Urination
- Heart Attack and Stroke
- Sexual Dysfunction
- Cognitive Dysfunction
Other Conditions with sleep apnea symptoms
There are other conditions with symptoms that are similar to sleep apnea. They are:
- Under active thyroid (hypothyroidism)
- Narcolepsy – falling asleep suddenly
- Intense urge to move the legs – restless legs syndrome
What can you do about your sleep apnea?
So what can you do? And how can we help? First thing to do is fill out a Epworth Sleep Apnea Screening Test (click here). If you score a 10 or higher on the Epworth Sleep Apnea Scale you should schedule an appointment to discuss having a sleep test (Polysomnogram or PSG). Your health insurance plan will most likely cover the cost. If you don’t have health insurance there are many sleep clinics and centers that offer low-cost sleep tests.
Once you have completed a sleep test (PSG) and one of our sleep physicians has confirmed that you have sleep apnea we can discuss your treatment options.
Treat Sleep Apnea & Snoring Without a CPAP Machine
Have Sleep Apnea questions? Schedule an appointment with Dr. Rader
Or you can always e-mail or call me: 650-583-5880