You can’t control whether or not you have a chronic sleep apnea condition. However, as an informed patient you can control how disruptive your sleep apnea is on a day-to-day basis. Nobody knows your sleep habits better than you do—and if you take proactive steps to get the sleep apnea treatment you need, you can significantly reduce your complications from sleep apnea. So take charge of your health and look out for these common sleep apnea-associated problems. If you look at this list and think, “hey, that sounds like me,” let your dentist know!
Common chronic symptoms:
- Extreme daytime sleepiness
- Heartburn/sour taste in the mouth
- Nighttime restlessness and tossing and turning
- Frequent headaches
- Concentration problems
- Decreased memory
- Irritability
Nighttime sleep-apnea specific symptoms:
- Choking/gasping during sleep
- Swelling of the legs
- Chest pain at night
- Disruptive snoring
- Periods of obstructed breathing—your bed partner may even be able to hear that you are not breathing for a period of time
- Frequent nighttime trips to the bathroom
As you can see, some of these symptoms ostensibly point more directly to sleep apnea than others. Swelling of the legs, for instance, may be a result of a variety of troubling problems. Our O’Fallon sleep apnea dentists can help you determine whether your symptoms are connected to sleep apnea breathing problems or another condition. Therefore, if you find yourself struggling with one or more of these symptoms it’s important to contact your dental health professional immediately so that you can get an accurate diagnosis. Feel free to give our O’Fallon sleep apnea dentists a call if you have any questions or you’d like more information—(636) 614-1217.