Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is an elusive sleep disorder. Despite the fact that it’s often marked by excessively loud snoring, patients who have sleep apnea don’t often realize that it’s more than just noise. However, the snoring is simply buildup to oral and throat tissues obstructing your airway. Eventually, the airway is blocked until you can’t breathe, which forces your body awake in a panic. The longer sleep apnea is left untreated, the more it can affect the quality of your sleep and your daily life. Fortunately, there are ways you can know if you have sleep apnea in Katy, TX, even if you aren’t aware of the episodes that you go through each night.
You snore constantly in a distinct pattern
Snoring because of sleep apnea isn’t the same as a mild or moderate case of snoring. The noise follows a distinct pattern of growing louder as your tissues increasingly obstruct your airway. At its peak, your snoring will suddenly stop, marking the complete obstruction of your airway and the cessation of your breathing. The silence lasts for a few moments, and then your snoring begins again as the cycle repeats itself.
You’re tired, but you think you’re sleeping well
There are several reasons why you might feel tired on any given day, but if it happens every day with increasing frequency, then you may be losing sleep. Because sleep apnea doesn’t wake you from consciousness, you might not realize that it’s depriving you of rest by preventing you from entering deep sleep.
You experience a number of these symptoms, too
In addition to snoring and tiredness, the effects of sleep apnea can also include:
- Trouble with short and long-term memory
- Increasing difficulty concentrating
- Heightened irritability
- More frequent cases of getting sick
- And more
Find Out for Sure if You Have Sleep Apnea
If you have sleep apnea, then you might not realize it right away. However, these and other symptoms can warn you of its presence so you can seek appropriate treatment. To learn more, or to find out if you have sleep apnea, schedule an appointment by calling Lathrop Dental Center in Katy, TX at 832-437-3849. We proudly welcome patients and families from Katy, Fulshear, Weston Lakes, Simonton, Richmond, Rosenberg, Brookshire, Wallis, Orchard, Cypress, Sealy, Columbus, and all surrounding communities.
