Every night we go to bed hoping to reenergize and wake up ready for the next day. Restless sleep or our partner waking us to stop our snoring will ruin that hope, and we can start to feel defeated. If your bedtime ritual is more tiresome than relaxing, you may have sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that occurs when your breathing is interrupted during sleep. What this means is that your body is not getting enough oxygen throughout the night and leads to other symptoms during the day.
Figuring Out What’s Wrong
Sleep apnea can affect anyone but is more prevalent in older males. Read on to see if you match any of the listed symptoms.
Symptoms
The most common complaint that leads people to question if they have sleep apnea is that they are tired and not sleeping well. Lack of energy coupled with the following symptoms could be sleep apnea:
- Waking up with a sore or dry throat
- Loud snoring
- Choking or gasping
- Mood swings
Diagnosis
To determine if you have sleep apnea, you can take a polysomnogram or sleep study. A sleep study transmits and records physical activities while you sleep. Some of the activities being measured are:
- Brain wave activity
- Muscle activity
- Leg movements
- Eye movements
- Heart rate and rhythm
- Nasal airflow sensor
- Snoring via microphone
Treatment
To treat mild cases of sleep apnea, you can take a few measures at home such as:
- Losing weight
- Avoiding alcohol
- Stopping smoking
- Not sleeping on your back
More advanced sleep apnea may require surgery, sleep mask, or a dental device. Meeting with an when-can-ear-nose-and-throat-doctor-help-you”>ear, nose, throat specialist is the best way to figure out what treatments will work for you.
To make an appointment with us today, contacts us at (208) 336-4368 and let us know what location is most convenient for you.