Sign and Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

Sign and Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

Signs:

1. Abnormal heart rhythm and increase blood pressure (caused by decrease oxygen levels in blood.)

2. Prolonged sleep apnea leads to heart failure and malfunction of the lungs

Symptoms:

1. Snore: loudest when sleep on the back and lessen when sleep on the side. (Prominent in Obstructive Sleep Apnea)

2. Observed episodes of breathing cessation during sleep (choking and gasping)

3. Abrupt awakenings accompanied by shortness of breath

4. Breathing become slow and shallow

5. Excessive daytime sleepiness especially when inactive (hypersomnia).

6. Morning headache

7. Memory and learning problems and not able to concentrate

8. Feeling irritable, depressed, or having mood swings or personality changes

9. Sex drives reduced.

10. Urination at night

11. A dry throat when you wake up

12. Difficulty staying asleep (insomnia)

p/s: partners or family members will notice these before the patient.

In children

1. Hyperactivity, poor school performance, and aggressiveness

2. Unusual sleeping positions, bedwetting, and may breathe through their mouths instead of their noses during the day.

References:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sleep-apnea/DS00148/METHOD=print

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/SleepApnea/SleepApnea_Signs.html

The Merick Manual of Medical Information