Are you trying to determine whether you may be exhibiting signs of sleep apnea disorder? If so, our O’Fallon sleep apnea dentists are here to help you learn more about what sleep apnea looks like, and how it can affect the patient. Keep reading to learn more about the outward signs of obstructive sleep apnea.
The sooner that you recognize that you have obstructive sleep apnea, the better you can work to stop the harmful symptoms that accompany this condition. There are treatment options that will help you regain healthy functioning.
There are a few signs of sleep apnea that patients may overlook, but the patients’ partners may readily recognize. For example:
Chronic snoring, which is a common side effect of sleep apnea, can be so severe that it wakes the patient and the patient’s sleeping partner. Snoring may further manifest as gurgling, snorting, or rattling noises.
A sleep apnea patient may also wake throughout the night. Low oxygen levels can cause a sleep apnea patient to wake briefly in order to restart his or her breathing. The patient may not remember all of these episodes, but often the patient’s partner notices. Encourage your partner to seek treatment right away if he or she is waking multiple times during the night.
Another key sign of sleep apnea is when the patient starts gasping or choking at night. The patient exhibits this behavior because he or she is trying to recover adequate oxygen levels. This behavior is likely to wake up other people in the vicinity.
If you notice any of these problems in your own life, or in your partner’s sleeping habits, do not hesitate to get the professional sleep apnea treatment that you need. Our O’Fallon sleep apnea dentist office will help you every step of the way—just give us a call to get started today!