There are millions of people around the world who snore, and often, other than a lack of sleep those in the same room may experience, the problem does not go further than surface level. However, there are times where snoring can mean that there is a further medical issue that needs to be looked into. One of the major problems that could come with snoring is obstructive sleep apnea and other obstructive sleep apnea symptoms.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a disorder where your throat muscles relax when you sleep and block the passageway to your throat. This can cause you to stop and start breathing intermittently throughout the night. It is the most common type of sleep apnea. Be sure to explore the various obstructive sleep apnea treatments available today from the Florida Sinus & Snoring Specialists.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea Symptoms
Obstructive sleep apnea symptoms can cause disruptions in your life that not only cause you problems at night, but that can also continue into the daytime hours and affect your everyday life. Knowing what to look for can help you to begin combatting the symptoms that you experience and get back to your normal life. Some of the symptoms of OSA to look out for are:
- Witnessed breathing pauses during sleep
- Excessive daytime sleepiness
- Difficulty concentrating
- Morning headaches
- Sore throat upon awakening
- Restless sleep
- Gasping or choking at night
- High blood pressure
- Chest pain at night
- Your snoring is so loud it’s disrupting your partner’s sleep
- In children, poor attention span, behavioral issues or poor performance in school
It is important to note that you may not be able to witness some of these yourself. For instance, you may not wake yourself up snoring, or notice whether your sleep was restless or not. If you sleep with a partner, you may want to ask them if they noticed any behaviors that align with this list at night.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea Treatments
There are obstructive sleep apnea treatments that you can go through that can reduce or stop your symptoms and help you improve your sleep.
- Lifestyle changes: there are ways that changing aspects of how you live can help stave off obstructive sleep apnea symptoms:
- Lose weight if you’re overweight.
- Exercise regularly.
- Drink alcohol moderately, if at all, and don’t drink several hours before bedtime.
- Quit smoking.
- Use a nasal decongestant or allergy medications.
- Don’t sleep on your back.
- Avoid taking sedative medications such as anti-anxiety drugs or sleeping pills.
- Continuous Positive Airway Pressure is where a divider is used to put pressure on your muscles and keep your airways open while you sleep.
- Mouthpiece: a device that uses either your lower jaw or your tongue to keep your airways open
- Surgery: there are different types of procedures that, depending on what is blocking your airways, can help remove the obstruction:
- UPP (Uvulopalatoplasty)
- Implants
- Minimally Invasive Nasap Procedures
- Tonsil Removal
Enjoy Proven Obstructive Sleep Apnea Treatments Today
Speak to your doctor about which treatment may be best for you. If you have further questions about obstructive sleep apnea symptoms or treatments, contact the Florida Sinus & Snoring Specialists at 954-951-4773 or visit our locations in Fort Lauderdale or Plantation. Our obstructive sleep apnea treatments make it easier for you to sleep easier and breathe easier, too!
