The most obvious sign of sleep apnea is snoring that is loud and consistent. You may pause while you are snoring. You may also choke or gasp after you have paused. When you sleep on your back, the snoring gets louder. If you sleep on your side, the snoring may not be as loud.
You may or may not snore every night. Eventually, the snoring may increase and it may get louder as you sleep.
Since you are asleep while you are snoring or gasping, you may not know that you’re having breathing issues. Others will see the signs before you and will let you know if it becomes a pattern. Be aware that just because you may be a chronic snorer, it doesn’t mean that you have sleep apnea. If you are fighting sleep during the day, that could be a sign that you have sleep apnea. If you’re not engaged in any activity, you may end up falling asleep very quickly. If this happens while you’re at work or you’re driving, the chances are greater that you may end up in a work-related accident or an accident while you’re driving.
There are other signs and symptoms that people may not associate with sleep apnea. They are:
- Headaches in the morning
- Frequent urination in the evening or night hours
- Moody or experiencing a change in your personality
- Can’t concentrate, focus or loss of memory
- Dry throat in the morning as you wake up
The muscles in your throat are used to keep the airway open so that you can get air into your lungs. However, when you’re sleeping, your throat muscles are relaxed. This means that your airway can be blocked and air won’t get into your lungs.
With Obstructive Sleep Apnea, you can also experience the following:
- If you have a tiny structure at the head and neck, the size of the airway may be smaller in your mouth and throat.
- The muscles in your throat and your tongue are more relaxed than they should be.
- Being overweight or obese, you will have additional soft fat tissue. This tissue can get thick in the windpipe wall. There is not much of an opening and what is available may not stay open.
- If you are an older adult, the signals of your brain may not keep the muscles of your throat stiff like they should.
- With the blocked airways, you may end up snoring loudly as you sleep.
Low oxygen levels cause you not to be able to get a good night’s sleep. The muscles in the upper airway get tight and your windpipe is open. You are able to breathe normal again, until you start snorting or choking.
Along with the frequent low levels of oxygen and less hours of sleep, your stress hormones are released. This can cause you to have high blood pressure, a stroke, heart attack and abnormal heartbeats. The stress hormones can also cause you to have heart failure.
If your condition is not treated, you could be at a greater risk of obesity and diabetes.