Symptoms and Complications
Unfortunately, most people with sleep apnea don't even know they have it.
Over 10 million Americans are thought to have undiagnosed sleep apnea. The American
Sleep Apnea Foundation has come up with a simple quiz to help people find out
if they have sleep apnea. Anyone who answers "yes" to any of the following
questions should talk to a doctor:
- Are you a loud, habitual snorer?
- Do you feel tired and groggy when you wake up?
- Are you often sleepy during the day?
- Are you overweight?
- Are you known to choke, gasp, or hold your breath while asleep? You may
want to ask your partner about this.
Daytime sleepiness is probably the most important symptom that patients
notice, since it can make it hard to stay awake, concentrate and work. People
can even end up losing their jobs if they're always nodding off during the day.
An especially dangerous problem is drowsiness while driving or operating machinery
- people with sleep apnea get into more accidents than average. It's best for
people with sleep apnea to avoid driving if they feel sleepy, or to stop driving
completely until the sleep apnea is under control.
Sleep apnea can also lead to headaches, memory problems, and depression. In
severe cases, complications including high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes,
and abnormalities in heart function such as heart failure and arrhythmias (irregular
heartbeat) can develop or worsen due to sleep apnea.