Three Possible Signs That Your Partner Has Sleep Apnea
Loud snoring can make anyone's night miserable, but there's a big difference between snoring loudly and having sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can be a life-threatening condition, so learning to recognize the signs could potentially save your partner's life. If you're not sure what to look for when detecting sleep apnea, keep your eyes and ears open for these three signs.
Gap in Breathing
One of the number one signs of sleep apnea is that people simply stop breathing for a few seconds at a time. This is because the airway closes and makes it so that breathing smoothly and easily becomes impossible. After a few seconds, your partner may suddenly gasp or emit an extremely loud snore, and then return to their normal snoring pattern. If you hear this happen, listen for a while longer and see if the pattern repeats.
If you notice that your partner has this problem, it's a very strong sign of sleep apnea.
Constant Exhaustion
People who have sleep apnea have to unconsciously struggle to breathe all night long, so they aren't experiencing restful, deep sleep. As a result, your partner may wake up feeling exhausted no matter how many hours they were unconscious.
While this symptom isn't necessarily a sign of sleep apnea all on its own, if found in combination with any of these other symptoms, it's a potential warning sign.
Difficulty Being Woken
Have you ever tried to wake up your partner by calling their name or shaking them to make them stop snoring? Did your partner simply not wake up until you were practically yelling at them or thrashing them about? If so, that could be due to sleep apnea.
It's scary to think about, but when your partner's breathing becomes labored, it can reduce the amount of oxygen that makes it to the brain. When this happens, it can become very difficult for your partner to awaken or respond to external stimuli. They may come to and then immediately pass out again, as well. Unfortunately, in severe cases, this difficulty breathing can potentially cause brain damage if it goes on long enough.
If you think that your partner has sleep apnea, it's time to get help. A sleep lab can diagnose your partner by having them stay there overnight while monitoring their vitals. If sleep apnea is diagnosed, your partner will be sent to a dentist to have a sleep apnea appliance made for them. This simple appliance will hold your partner's jaw open in a way that keeps their airway open all night so that they can breathe readily. As an added bonus, they may snore far less, which means you'll be sleeping better, too. Contact a clinic, like Leidenheimer Dental Group Inc, for more help.