Sleep Apnea can be a life threatening condition for many reasons. The physical effects on the body increase the risk of heart attack or stroke. And the side effects of lack of restorative sleep can lead to accidents as a result of diminished cognitive ability.
If you think you may suffer from sleep apnea, check this list of symptoms that commonly suggest sleep apnea.
What symptoms are suggestive of sleep apnea?
- Snoring has about a 70% predictive potential of sleep apnea.
- Witnessed gasps, snorts, and waking yourself up from “choking” are also fairly predictive of apnea.
- Daytime tiredness and waking feeling unrefreshed are also common complaints I hear.
I ask whether patients are up 2-3 times per night for the restroom. Unless prostate problems are present, it also is a suggestion of abnormal sleep. As a dentist treating sleep apnea, we often recognize persistent tooth grinding, clenching, or jaw joint problems (TMJ) as predictors of sleep apnea. Although research doesn’t have a direct link to these findings, they are very common in the dental sleep medicine community as positive predictors.
High blood pressure and insulin resistance are some of the later consequences of untreated apnea, as are increased risk for stroke, heart rhythm abnormalities, and accidents from microsleeps.
