How Do I Know If I Have Sleep Apnea?

Those who suffer from sleep apnea have a number of treatment options readily available to address their condition. Although treating sleep apnea can be a fairly straight-forward process, discovering whether you suffer from the common condition can be more difficult. Many people who experience the symptoms of sleep apnea don’t realize they have it. Oftentimes, sleep apnea can be dismissed as “just snoring.” Unfortunately, in addition to snoring, sleep apnea patients also frequently experience pauses in breathing at night or wake up gasping for air. This is why getting a diagnosis for sleep apnea is so important.

Snoring is one of the most obvious symptoms of sleep apnea, though there are many other signs of the condition that may seem unrelated. When trying to determine if you or your partner are suffering from sleep apnea, be on the lookout for a variety of symptoms and health conditions. If you experience one or more of the following, this could indicate that you have sleep apnea:

• Teeth grinding
• Insomnia
• Headaches
• Exhaustion
• Memory loss
• Sexual dysfunction

When left untreated, sleep apnea may lead to more serious medical concerns since the oxygen supply to the brain is being restricted. Common conditions related to sleep apnea include diabetes, depression, a compromised immune system, stroke, or heart disease. If you think you or a loved one may be suffering from the dangerous condition, it is important to undergo a sleep study as soon as possible. Once you are diagnosed, Dr. Robin Rutherford can create a customized treatment plan, allowing you to not only sleep better, but improve your overall health and quality of life.

Contact The Art of Dentistry

For more information about sleep apnea, or to schedule an appointment to learn about your treatment options, please contact our office today.

Editor’s note: The original version of this post was published on September 24, 2015.