Sleep Apnea Symptoms in Adults

One of the most common sleeping disorders found these days amongst adults is sleep apnea. It is related to the breathing of the person during sleep. Normally, our breathing only pauses once during sleep, while on the other hand, the person suffering from sleep apnea has more than one pause during sleep. The term 'apnea' is for the frequent pauses in breathing which can last for a few seconds or minutes and this can continue for an hour or so. What is ironic is that the person with this sleep disorder does not quite understand or experience any inconvenience except for the disruption of sleep that occurs every week, for about 3 or more nights. It is usually the bed partners or others who notice this problem in breathing. If you have observed something of this sort in your partner or even a family member/ friend, then you can further check and relate with the different symptoms in adults that are mentioned in this article to know if they have this sleeping disorder.

Types of Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea can be classified into three types, namely, obstructive, central, and complex apnea.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA): This type of sleep apnea is more common as compared to others. In this, the person has frequent pauses in breathing due to physical blockage of airway despite the breathing effort function in the respiratory system which is triggered by the brain.

Central Sleep Apnea (CSA): Central sleep apnea occurs when the brain refrains from sending signals which prevents respiratory system to make the effort of breathing causing many pauses in breathing during sleep.

Complex/Mixed Sleep Apnea: As the name suggests, it is a mix of both obstructive and central sleep apnea and is caused by both physical blockage and lack of respiratory effort due to imbalance in brain controls.

The airway blockage is caused due to various factors such as nasal obstruction, shapes and palates of the jaw, a large neck or a large tongue, large tonsils or narrow airway. It has been observed that obese people and those who regularly consume alcohol and sedatives are more likely to be affected by sleep apnea. However, it is also found in others due to the factors that are mentioned above.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Symptoms in Adults

In between the pause and the breath, there are four things happening internally, within the body. First is that the airway gets blocked or obstructed. Second, is when the respiratory system makes an effort to breathe but fails. In the third stage, the oxygen level in the blood keeps depleting because of the unsuccessful breathing and the final stage is where the oxygen amount reaching the brain reduces and the body is signaled by the brain to take a breath. Following are some of the symptoms observed in adults to identify obstructive sleep apnea.

• Inability to concentrate
• Insomnia
• Poor memory
• Fatigue
• Day time sleepiness
• Headaches
• Frequent naps
• Irritability
• Excessive sleepiness
• Mood disorders
• Hypertension
• Depression
• Frequent urination at night
• Personality changes
• Restlessness
• Snoring
• Mouth breathing
• Anxiety
• Regular nightmares
• Dry throat in the morning
• Forgetfulness

Studies have stated that sleep apnea can prove to be fatal if ignored and left undiagnosed. Due to disruption and lack of sleep the one's neurological balance is disturbed and can cause accidents while driving or minor accidents at workplace. So, if you see any of the above mentioned symptoms I suggest you visit a doctor as soon as possible. Symptoms of this sleep disorder, in women and men are more or less the same. The symptoms in men are more prominent and visible amongst those men who are old and obese. And studies indicate that this disorder is two to three times more prevalent in men.

Sleep Apnea Diagnosis and Treatment

Sleep apnea is usually diagnosed by conducting a sleep test. Depending on the severity, the treatment that your doctor suggests would either be non-surgical or surgical. Surgical treatments might include nasal airway surgery, tracheostomy, tongue reduction, etc. Non surgical treatments include the use of a CPAP machine (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) and medication.

Now that you are aware of the sleep apnea symptoms in adults, you can spread the awareness by sharing it amongst your family and friends so that if anyone one of you identifies a symptom in one another can right away seek for the right treatment without any delay.