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  The Symptoms Of Sleep Apnea Are Not Always Easy To SpotSleep apnea is an extremely common sleep disorder which affects in excess of 12 million US citizens and today is as common as adult diabetes.The most commonly seen form of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea which, as its name implies, results from an obstruction to the airways which interferes with breathing. There is also another form of sleep apnea known as central sleep apnea, in which the brain fails to adequately control breathing during sleep. Finally, some people suffer from mixed sleep apnea, which is a mixture of obstructive and central forms of this sleep disorder. The symptoms of sleep apnea may arise at any time and, while they are most often found in overweight men who are over forty, they may be found in men and women of all ages and are being seen all too often now in children. The most noticeable symptom of sleep apnea is snoring which is unfortunately a hard symptom to spot yourself and generally needs to be pointed out by a sleeping partner. There can be several reasons for snoring and the presence of snoring is not by itself a sign that you are suffering from sleep apnea. Most people with sleep apnea do snore. The second most noticeable symptom is unusual tiredness during the day. When you suffer from sleep apnea you stop breathing frequently throughout the night and the body's instinctive reaction to this is to arouse you just enough to start you breathing again, but not enough so that you are aware that you are being awakened. The result of this is that your sleep is very light and often interrupted and you cannot enjoy the deep sleep that the body needs to recharge its batteries. As a consequence, over time, you find that you are becoming more and more tired and sleepy during the day. If sleep apnea is left untreated its affects will start to become increasingly evident and further symptoms will begin to appear. These might include headaches (especially early in the morning), touchiness and sometimes depression. You might also notice that you are beginning to put on weight. One less obvious symptom of sleep apnea is a rise in blood pressure which can lead to a number of cardiovascular problems. This will be picked up if you are among the increasing number of people who now monitor their blood pressure regularly at home but otherwise may not be picked up until you have a routine physical exam at your physician's office. Yet another symptom is that of learning difficulties and problems with memory retention. Once more this is not something that is easy to detect yourself but friends and family may notice that you are not as fast on the uptake as you once were. A number of people with sleep apnea will experience a fall in sexual function and this can lead to impotency. As is the case with with the majority of medical conditions individual symptoms could be a sign of almost anything. But, when you begin to see these symptoms alongside each onther then you should consider consulting your physician and possibly consider having yourself tested for sleep apnea. One word of caution though. Sleep apnea testing will frequently mean referral to a sleep specialist, preferably one certified by the American Board of Sleep Medicine (ABSM), and might mean being subjected to overnight sleep testing either at home or in a specialized sleep laboratory. These tests will frequently cost in excess of $1,000 and you should check with your health insurer before committing yourself to a program of sleep apnea evaluation. Free Article Source: http://www.za77.org About The Author: Help-Me-To-Sleep.com offers information and advice on a range of different sleep disorders including sleep apnea and looks at sleep apnea treatment amongst other things. We also look in detail at finding a natural cure for insomnia |