Are you suffering from strange, hard-to-pinpoint physical discomfort and inconveniences in your daily life? The culprit could be sleep apnea. Sleep apnea, which occurs when you are asleep, can affect how you feel during the day. Because many patients suffer from these symptoms for years without realizing that they are suffering from sleep apnea, our Saint Louis sleep apnea dentists have put together this primer for you. I hope that after reading this short article, you’ll have a better idea of how sleep apnea can manifest.
Let’s start by reviewing how sleep apnea works. If you suffer from sleep apnea, then your airways become blocked by oral tissues while you are asleep. Consequently, your oxygen levels dip, and your natural sleep cycle is disrupted.
If this is happening to you, you may notice:
· That you are snoring severely during the night. You may even snore so loudly that you wake yourself or other people up!
· That you suffer from chronic headaches, often in the morning when you wake up. Because sleep apnea robs you of healthy sleep, you are more likely to suffer from stress and tension headaches.
· You feel tired throughout the day. Without a good night’s sleep, you will likely notice that you feel fatigued as you move through your day.
· That you wake up often during the night. When your oxygen levels get too low, your body will actually wake you up in order to “jump start” your breathing.
These are some of the most common signs of sleep apnea. Stay alert for these issues in your daily life. If you do notice that you are having these problems, do not hesitate to speak to your dentist about these issues—the faster that you start treatment, the better you will feel.
Call our Saint Louis sleep apnea dentist office to get any more information that you need.