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Alcohol increases the symptoms of sleep apnea. [more]





You might be suffering from sleep apnea

What is sleep apnea?

The muscles controlling the upper respiratory tract usually become relaxed when you're sleeping. If they are too relaxed, the upper airway becomes too tight and some people start snoring. Sometimes, the respiratory tract becomes completely obstructed and the person temporarily stops breathing; they have obstructive apnea. Such an event can last up to 10 seconds or more. It can be frequent and occur up to several hundred times each night. If you suffer from this condition, every time apnea occurs, you struggle to breathe and stress both your brain and your heart. You are disturbed in your sleep, night after night. This kind of fatigue affects your quality of life, your work and your personal life. Your spouse may have heard the early signs of apnea during your sleep: snoring followed by silence, then a loud respiration when you start breathing again.

   - Taken from "Do you snore? Are you always tired?" by Resmed.

The consequences of sleep apnea on your health

  • Obesity

    Being overweight increases the risks to suffer from sleep apnea because of the obstruction increase in the respiratory tract at the neck level. Also, the body puts up with micro-arousals that result in a metabolic disturbance. It is therefore more difficult to loose weight with untreated sleep apnea.

  • Heart disease

    The low oxygen levels and the micro-arousals that happen at night affect significantly the heartbeat. It is possible to develop a heart disease that would lead to myocardial infarction.

  • Hypertension

    The low oxygen levels and the micro-arousals produced at night by the brain result in high blood pressure. Nearly a third of the people who have hypertension suffer from sleep apnea.

  • Strokes

    Almost 60% of the people who had a stroke suffered from sleep apnea. If sleep apnea remains untreated, it is more difficult and it takes more time for people who suffered from a stroke to recover. It was shown that these people also have more risks to pass away following their stroke if they were not treated for sleep apnea.

  • Diabetes

    More than 50% of all diabetics suffer from sleep apnea. It is therefore more difficult for them to control their glycemia. Untreated sleep apnea can lead to insulin resistance and eventually result in type 2 diabetes.

    Main apnea symptoms

      Daytime symptoms

    • Persistent fatigue;
    • Dry mouth in the morning;
    • Soreness;
    • Lack of concentration;
    • Memory loss;
    • Excessice fatigue in the morning;
    • Headaches;
    • Irritability;
    • Depression;
    • Restless legs
      (restlessness or frequent lef movements);
    • Drowsiness.

      Night time symptoms

    • Respiratory arrests;
    • Insomnia;
    • Night sweats;
    • Palpitation;
    • Leg cramps;
    • Frequent arousals to urinate (2 times or more);
    • Feeling of suffocation;
    • Leg numbness;
    • Nightmares or activated sleep;
    • Snoring;
    • Frequent movement.


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