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Signs That You Could Possibly Have Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is one of those illnesses that can be very hard to diagnose. Because the main symptoms usually occur while you are sleeping or during the day in ways that you probably won't connect to it, sleep apnea has the ability to stay hidden for a long period of time. If you find yourself experiencing any of the following symptoms, you should head over to a doctor to have a sleep study done so you can begin a plan of treatment that helps you obtain a better quality of life.

Your Partner Continuously Complains about Your Snoring

When two people sleep in the same bed together, you learn a lot about each other's sleeping patterns. There's probably a particular sleeping position that both of you get into each night, and if you crowd each other's space it can become a source of playful banter between the two of you.

While jokes about your snoring can be fun and lead to rounds of laughter, you should also pay attention to what the snoring could mean. When a person has sleep apnea, their airway gets blocked at certain points while they are sleeping. The snoring comes from the extra effort that your respiratory system has to make as it tries to push through the blockage and keep you breathing. If this condition isn't treated, it could lead to even more health problems that you definitely don't want to deal with.

Staying Awake without Coffee Is a Struggle

Some people with sleep apnea find themselves struggling to stay awake during the day. They may start to nod off at work, or their coworkers or boss might have to wake them up on more than one occasion. 

If staying awake during the day is a problem for you, it's easy to self-medicate by drinking cup after cup of coffee. However, this won't fix the root of the problem. You might be having a hard time being alert during the day because your sleep apnea wakes you up several times each night. You're unable to get a full night's rest, and this begins to have consequences during the day, when you're trying to make a living.

Sleep apnea is treated in many different ways. There are ways to cope with sleep apnea, like using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine given to you by your family doctor or an oral treatment device given to you by a dentist. Seek out a dental office like Jerry C Hu DDS Family Dentistry LLC for more information.


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