Sleep Apnea Symptoms and Causes

Sleep apnea is a sleep breathing condition that the afflicted person is rarely aware of. Sleep apnea causes the breathing gaps that occur during sleep. Although there are a lot of telltale signs or sleep apnea symptoms, most of these signs are evident during sleep, making it impossible for the sufferer to detect. More often than not, it is the bed partner that detects the symptoms. Other signs that manifested during daytime are either commonplace to cause alarm or associated with other diseases.

One of the most blatant of the sleep apnea symptoms is the excessive daytime sleepiness or EDS. It is common for apnea patients to feel sleepy while doing daily activities. Severe cases of sleep apnea makes staying awake a challenge. Some patients would fall asleep even without them knowing. This usually happens during classes, during office works, reading, watching TV and even while driving. This is a serious symptom especially when the patient is driving. A lot of fatal road accidents have been attributed to EDS. This symptom is credited to the patient’s inability to get restful sleep at night.

Another obvious symptom is snoring. This also often goes without the knowledge of the patient. Restlessness in sleep, gasping and choking for air are also sleep apnea symptoms that are better detected by the patient’s bed partner. These symptoms are due to the obstructions in the patient’s airways, making normal breathing hard. The breathing gaps results to deprivation of the oxygen supply to the body which makes the heart pump harder. Constant stress to the heart could develop to heart failures and diseases. Obstructive sleep apnea causes include narrow airways, deviated septum, enlarged tongue, tonsils, adenoids and uvula. These are common in people who have small jaw frames, large necks and are obese.

Depression is one symptom that is normally attributed to psychological factors. But this is a common sleep apnea symptom in severe cases. People who are unable to sleep well do not perform well, scholastic or career-wise. This leads to patients being irritable, moody and frustrated. Children often show anger and rage for unknown reasons. The frustration over their inability to rest and perform well drew disappointments that eventually lead to depression. Not all depressions are caused by sleep apnea, but sleep apnea certainly causes depression.

Mild sleep apnea symptoms can easily be addressed with healthier habits and sleep apnea exercises. Constant tongue, lips and mouth exercises could toughen slack airway muscles and tissues preventing them from blocking the airways during sleep. Keeping a good diet, active lifestyle and avoiding vices like smoking, too much alcohol intake and abusive drug use will also help in keeping sleep apnea in check. Maintaining your ideal weight is also important.

For more severe cases of sleep apnea, patients can either undergo corrective surgeries to remove the obstructions. They can also opt for the CPAP treatment that involves wearing masks that provide the steady supply of pressurized air. CPAP is not a cure though. The treatment only alleviates breathing and eliminates sleep apnea symptoms. It does not remove the blockages that cause the disorder.