Sleep apnea is a dangerous sleep disorder in which breathing stops and begins regularly. Loud snoring and chronic weariness are symptoms. The three primary categories are obstructive (throat muscles relax, preventing airflow), central (a problem with brain communication), and treatment-emergent central. Consult a houston snoring & sleep apnea specialist if you suspect sleep apnea for symptom relief and probable prevention of complications such as heart problems.

What are the symptoms of sleep apnea?

Obstructive and central sleep apnea symptoms, such as loud snoring, interruption of breathing during sleep, gasping for air, dry mouth upon waking, morning headaches, insomnia, daytime tiredness, focus difficulties, and irritability, frequently overlap so it can be difficult to tell.  

While not everyone with sleep apnea snores, loud snoring can be alarming. If you have such symptoms, see a doctor to address any potential sleep difficulties that are hurting your health.

What are the causes?

You must be wondering what causes it. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the muscles in the throat relax, narrowing or blocking the airway while breathing, resulting in low oxygen levels and brief awakenings to reopen the airway. This can cause snorting, choking, or gasping, which can disrupt deep sleep periods. Central sleep apnea, on the other hand, is more uncommon and occurs when the brain fails to activate breathing muscles, resulting in shortness of breath upon waking or difficulties sleeping and staying asleep.

Are there any risks associated with it?

Sleep apnea can affect anybody, even children, and certain risk factors increase the likelihood of it occurring. Excess weight, a thicker neck circumference, a narrowed airway, being male, aging, family history, alcohol/substance use, smoking, nasal congestion, and certain medical conditions such as heart failure, hypertension, diabetes, hormonal disorders, and chronic lung diseases are all risk factors for obstructive sleep apnea.

Age (more common in middle-aged and older people), gender (higher prevalence in men), heart disorders such as congestive heart failure, use of narcotic pain medications (particularly long-acting opioids), and a history of stroke are all risk factors for central sleep apnea.

Severe daytime fatigue, difficulty concentrating, high blood pressure, heart problems, increased risk of heart attack, stroke, irregular heartbeats, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, challenges with medications and surgery, liver issues, and loud snoring are all potential complications of sleep apnea.

Final thoughts:

If you are seeing any of the symptoms mentioned above in the blog, it’s recommended that you get in touch with a Houston dentist as soon as possible.