Sleep Apnea – A Picture of the Symptoms
Posted on | February 1, 2010 | No Comments
Sleep apnea, a chronic sleeping disorder common in adults, is often unnoticed by an individual as episodes of the disorder occur most commonly while the individual is sleeping. Instead it is family members or bed partners of the individual who tend to discover the disorder. Symptoms and warning signs of Sleep apnea include:
Silences of breathing while sleeping - These pauses in breathing, or apneas, occur for at least 10 seconds, and can last as long as minutes. An apnea episode can stop breathing completely, or cause the sleeper to breathe shallowly. Apneas occur at least 15 times an hour, and often more than 30 times.
Gasping or Choking - After pauses in breath, the sleeper may then gasp or choke in a bid to get air back into their lungs.
Suddenly awakening - The sleeper may awaken suddenly, prompted by the brain to restore the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood system. Although this may be forgotten by the morning, these awakenings can be disturbing to sleep quality.
Tiredness during the day - Sleep apnea can be disrupting to a person’s sleep, often causing them to awaken during the night. Even if not awakening the sleeper, the apneas can cause a disruptive switch from deep sleep into lighter sleep.
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