SYMPTOMS OF SLEEP APNEA

The majority of patients with sleep apnea snore heavily. The sleep of family members will be disturbed by the persistence and volume of the snoring and may even drive the bed partner from the room. Apnea patients often complain of difficulty falling asleep or having disrupted sleep all night long and may have early morning awakenings and difficulty falling back to sleep. Sometimes there will be a complaint of having to get up often to urinate, attributing this to a bladder problem rather than a sleep disorder. causing arousal.

The sleep in apnea patients is not refreshing and patients are often just as tired in the morning as when they went to sleep; as well as having a dry mouth sore throat or even a headache. Most apnea patients have daytime fatigue and sleepiness. The tendency to dose can be severe and often occurs during sedentary activities such as watching TV, reading or sitting at meetings. Dozing off at the wheel of an automobile may happen as well. As patients start to fall asleep while driving they may go off the road or hit the median stripes. Car crashes are more common in sleep apnea with the highest risk times being about 3 PM in the afternoon and 4 AM in the morning. It is important for patients to realize that the history of a car crash can be the most significant predictor of a future sleep related auto mishap.

PHYSICAL FINDINGS IN SLEEP APNEA

About two thirds of apnea patients are overweight or obese, while one third are of normal weight but have small or receding jaws. As people gain weight, fat is deposited in the tongue and tissues surrounding the throat. A receding jaw may act to push the tongue backward against the throat. Jaws that are too small for the tongue size have the same effect. Many patients will have a small mouth, large tongue and small throat and sometimes complain that they cough and choke when eating. One of the most common physical findings is a short, thick neck that may measure up to 18 to 20 inches in some individuals. Some patients will have a soft palate that is lying low over the back of the tongue or have an enlarged uvula (the soft tissue dangling from the bottom of the soft palate) If heart failure is present there may be swollen ankles as well.

Physical Findings in sleep apnea:

Overweight/Obese

Small mouth, jaw and throat

Large tongue

Receding jaw

Short, thick neck

Swollen legs

Nasal disease is common in apnea sufferers. Many complain of sinus drainage or blockage. Snoring may be increased in individuals with a deviated nasal septum, nasal polyps, or enlarged nasal tissues (turbinates)

Nasal Disease. When your doctor examines your nose she may find a deviated septum, polyps or swollen turbinates.

COMPLICATIONS AND PROBLEMS CAUSED BY SLEEP APNEA

Frequent reductions in the oxygen level in the blood may result in heart and lung problems including heart attacks, heart failure, unusual heartbeats and swollen ankles. Hypertension and depression are among the most common complications of untreated sleep apnea. Strokes are more common in apnea suffers, as is impotency in males.

Medical Complications of Sleep Apnea

Hypertension

Strokes

Heart attacks

Heart failure

Male impotence

Emotional complications of OSA may be severe including mood swings, irritability loss of memory and poor concentration, depression and panic attacks.