Over 22 million people in the United States alone suffer from sleep apnea. Most studies agree that well over half of these sleep apnea cases are undiagnosed. Some even think that number could be as high as 80%.
Whether the number is 50% or 80%, the fact remains that a very large number of people don’t even know that they have sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea is sometimes difficult to recognize alone. Many of the symptoms can be ascribed to other life events, and most of the sleep complications aren’t apparent to the actual sleeper.
Yet it is necessary to treat sleep apnea, in order to improve the quality of life as well as to preserve future health.
If there is someone in your life whom you think might be suffering from sleep apnea, you can help by keeping an eye out for sleep apnea symptoms and talking to your loved one.
Keep an Eye Out For the Symptoms of Sleep Apnea
Your loved one may not even realize they are exhibiting symptoms. The people around a sleep apnea sufferer can help by spotting these symptoms and alerting them to their potential sleep disorders.
Loud Snoring| This symptom is one of the most noticeable results of sleep apnea, especially when the snoring is severe and chronic.
While paying attention to your loved one’s sleep, try to notice how often snoring happens, and how severe it gets during the night. It may also be helpful to notice any conditions that improve or worsen the snoring, such as position changes or use of medication.
This information will be useful when getting an apnea diagnosis and while designing a treatment plan.
Waking Up Frequently| Those who suffer from sleep apnea will end up waking up several times a night. In mild cases, this can mean once or twice. In the most severe of cases, it can be as many as hundreds of times in a single night.
This waking is often accompanied by loud gasps, choking, or coughing. Most of the time, the sleeper won’t even know they’ve woken up and will fall immediately back to sleep.
If you notice your loved one experiencing this regular waking, try to note the frequency. Is it once a night, or several times a minute? Do any outside factors change the regularity at all?
Lifestyle Symptoms| The lasting effects of apnea can spread into our everyday lives, from work, school, and errands to travel and home.
If someone you love is suffering from sleep apnea, they may begin to exhibit these common symptoms during the waking hours of the day:
- They become more prone to forgetfulness.
- They experience unexplained mood changes.
- They feel chronically sleepy.
- They regularly fall into microsleeps throughout the day.
- They exhibit a lack of energy to carry out regular tasks.
- They become too tired to safely drive, even after a night’s sleep.
- They experience inexplicable weight gain.
Take note of any changes like this, especially if they seem to be directly related with the occurrence of the other apnea symptoms, such as heavy snoring.
Talk to Your Loved One
As we have mentioned, many of these apnea symptoms are hard to see from the point of view of those with apnea. They may wake up every day thinking they got a full night’s rest, completely unaware that they startled awake several times during the night.
Talk to them about what you have noticed and encourage them to seek a diagnosis for their sleep troubles. Let them know about our office and how we can help diagnose the cause behind their sleep issues.
Don’t hesitate to ask us any questions about apnea, which we can answer if you call today.