Sleep apnea is a severe sleep disorder where breathing involuntarily stops and starts. It can result from blocked airways or by a signaling problem in the brain and can be life-threatening. Whenever the airway is opened during sleep, the individual will snort and take a deep breath or wake up by gasping, choking, or smothering.
If you find yourself snoring loudly and feeling tired even after a full night’s sleep, you’re probably suffering from sleep apnea. You can either have obstructive sleep apnea or central sleep apnea, depending on the airway blockage or a signaling issue, respectively.
Knowing the early symptoms and diagnosis of sleep apnea is extremely important to get timely treatment and save your life.
Common sleep apnea symptoms
- Loud snoring
- Morning headaches
- Waking up with a very dry or sore throat
- Waking up in the middle of the night with a choking or gasping sensation
- Feeling sleepy with a severe lack of energy during the day
- Sleepiness while driving or while working
- Having frequent bouts of restless sleep
- Forgetfulness, confusion, and consistent low moods
- Difficulty in concentrating and feeling irritable
- A significantly decreased interest in sex
- Reduced libido and suffering from erectile dysfunction
- Insomnia and recurrent awakening
The above signs on the lines of early symptoms and diagnosis of sleep apnea are classified into daytime and nighttime symptoms. While some symptoms affect your night sleep, others interfere with your daily activities throughout the day.
Diagnosing sleep apnea
Your doctor will evaluate by taking your signs and symptoms into consideration. Your sleep history will also play an important role in determining the best treatment. You will be asked to undergo a sleep apnea test called polysomnogram that can be done either at the medical center or in your home.
This test uses multiple components that electronically transmit and record certain activities while you’re asleep. These readings are analyzed by a specialist to determine if its sleep apnea or some other sleep disorder.
In case it’s sleep apnea, you will be asked to undergo further tests to help your doctor determine the best treatment option. The early symptoms and diagnosis of sleep apnea go hand in hand in determining the most favorable treatment. The common tests include the following:
- Electroencephalogram (EEG) that helps measure and record brain wave activities
- Electromyogram (EMG) that records muscle activities like face twitches, teeth grinding, and limb movements, and also to determine rapid eye movements stage sleep. REM sleep causes intense dreams to occur due to heightened brain activity
- Electro-oculogram (EOG) is done to record eye movements to determine different sleep stages
- Electrocardiogram (ECG) records heart rate and its rhythm
- Nasal airflow sensors help record airflow
- Snore microphone records snoring activity
Equipment used for a sleep study
Your doctor will use surface electrodes on your face and scalp to record electrical signals. These signals are generated by the brain and muscle activity that are recorded digitally. Belts placed around your chest and abdomen will measure your breathing. An oximeter probe will be attached to your finger to measure the amount of oxygen in the blood.