Sleep apnea is uncommonly diagnosed because doctors don’t regularly check its symptoms, and the signs can be easily overlooked.
Characterized by pausing in breathing, sometimes hundreds of times a night, this sleep disorder is particularly dangerous because those constant sleep disruptions cause the sleeper to lose oxygen. Often, the disruptions do not cause a person to wake up, but it can leave them groggy in the mornings.
According The Huffington Post, the American Sleep Apnea Association estimates that there are more than 20 million adults with undiagnosed sleep apnea.
It is critical that sleep apnea is recognized and treated as sufferers of this sleep disorder are at risk for a variety of health conditions such as diabetes, depression, obesity and cardiovascular disease.
Men over the age of 40 are at an even more at risk of having the sleep disorder. Being overweight, having allergies, sinus problems, and genetics also factor into who has sleep apnea.
There are a number of ways to treat sleep apnea, including some as simple as losing weight and committing to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. Take your health into your hands and familiarize yourself with signs that you could have the sleep disorder:
- You wake up with a dry mouth or sore throat
- Morning headaches have become common
- Snoring, brief periods of no breathing
- You have trouble focusing and paying attention
- You feel irritable, depressed or simply not in the mood, a personality change
- You suffer from diabetes or other health conditions
Sleep apnea can be a very serious – even life threatening – illness, take a look at a sleep apnea episode. Don’t hesitate getting tested by a licensed physician or visiting a certified sleep clinic to get back on track with refreshing sleep and have a better quality of life!
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