Most of us who are aware of sleep apnea are familiar with the more common signs and symptoms, which include loud snoring, frequent sleep disturbances, and gasping during the night.
However, there are several signs of sleep apnea that many people miss. Let’s look into them now.
High Blood Pressure
While it may not seem like it at the time, frequent interruptions in a person’s breathing is a stressful experience, even if the individual is asleep when the interruption occurs. As such, sleep apnea can trigger the body’s stress responses over and over again throughout the night. In addition to other complications relating to sleep apnea, a person with this condition might have high blood pressure.
Depression
Adequate sleep is essential when it comes to brain and body health, and when we’re not permitted enough rest due to breathing interruptions, the results can affect our mood. When you don’t get enough sleep, you’re likely going to be tired and irritable throughout the day because your brain is still exhausted from the night before.
Poor sleeping habits can lead to disruptions in the brain’s hormone production, which may cause symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Daytime Fatigue
As mentioned above, sleep apnea makes it difficult for an individual to get enough sleep, and as a result, someone with sleep apnea may find himself or herself tired during the day. Even if the individual goes to bed early and assumes they’ve slept the entire night, sleep apnea causes brief sleeping interruptions that we probably won’t remember in the morning.
Chronic Headaches
Because someone with sleep apnea involuntarily holds their breath several times during the night, the individual’s brain and body are not getting enough oxygen. Much like repeatedly holding one’s breath while awake can trigger a headache, so can sleep apnea. If you find yourself dealing with chronic, undiagnosed headaches upon waking, the culprit may be sleep apnea.
If these signs of sleep apnea are familiar to you, it’s in your best interest to schedule an appointment with an experienced dentist. Reach out to Golden Heart Dental and book an evaluation with our dental care team to have your condition assessed and treated.