Sleep Apnea Symptoms and Diagnosis

The symptoms of apnea are indicative first hand of a bad night's sleep. One thing, though, is that a person with sleep apnea will usually have no recollection of the numerous waking intervals during the night. So when he wakes up, he will generally feel restless, sleepy, tired, all of which are not the way a person who sleeps soundly feels usually.

The following are the symptoms of sleep apnea:

• Loud snores
• Gasping or fighting for breath during sleep
• Frequent stoppage of breathing in the sleep state
• Excessive perspiration during sleep, followed by a brief waking interval
• Waking up in the morning with a headache
• A fatigued feeling on waking up
• High blood pressure
• Dry papery feeling in the mouth on waking up
• Depression
• Reduced libido
• Insomnia
• Heartburn

Sleep Apnea Diagnosis

The first step to diagnosing sleep apnea is actually recognizing that something is probably wrong somewhere and going to a physician. If the doctor suspects sleep apnea, he will refer you to a sleep clinic.

Once at the clinic, there are tests to determine that the disorder is actually sleep apnea. One of the most common tests is the polysomnogram or PSG. This test is usually carried out overnight. At the sleep clinic, electrodes are attached to the patient's body at strategic points to monitor various functions during the sleep state - brain waves, eye movement, muscle tension, blood oxygen levels, snoring and gasping sounds - and determines after analyzing these if the patient has sleep apnea. Some countries also allow a PSG to be done at home.

A pulse oximeter may also be done during which the pulse rate and the amount of oxygen in the blood are measured over an 8 hour time frame. Dips in oxygen levels and peaks in the pulse rate can be taken as strong indicators for the presence of sleep apnea.

Treating Sleep Apnea >>