Sleep Apnea

Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a serious medical condition that can occur during sleep and is caused when the airway becomes blocked so that no oxygen can reach the lungs for 10 seconds or more. Apnea lack of oxygen has conclusively been proven to be associated with greatly increased chances of irregular heartbeat, heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, and a reduction of 5 to 7 years in life expectancy.

SYMPTOMS

Can you imagine this action taking place hundreds of times each night? This is why apnea affects the cardiovascular system, causes sexual dysfunction, depression and can sometimes be fatal. The bad news is that most people don’t remember upon awakening that they had the episodes. Instead, they notice symptoms like:

  • Often waking up during the night to go to the bathroom
  • Napping
  • Irritability
  • Difficulty focusing or paying attention
  • Depression / Anxiety
  • Weight Gain
  • Headaches upon awakening
  • Daytime sleepiness
  • Being sleepy during daily activities (driving, reading, watching TV)
  • Awakening with a jolt, gasp or a cough
  • Trouble staying asleep
  • High blood pressure or hypertension
  • Feeling tired despite a full night of sleep
  • GERD (Gastroesophageal reflux disease is a chronic digestive disease)
epworth sleep scale