At times early signs of an illness that help in diagnosis can get missed, as it happens with sleep apnea. Though common, this disabling sleep disorder remains undiagnosed for a long time because most of the sleep apnea symptoms show up during sleep.

So what does one do under such circumstances? It is usually the bed partner who helps out. In fact, the first signs are usually apparent to this individual who notices the repeated choking and gasping during sleep, loud and persistent snoring, restlessness in bed, frequent waking and so on.

Luckily, the signs do not remain in hiding for too long. The patient soon gets to experience certain effects of the disorder by way of rapid and irrational weight gain, excessive daytime sleepiness, dry mouth and sore throat in the morning, frequent urination at night, irritability, depression, morning headaches, etc.

Diagnosis could be wrong

It is not always that reporting symptoms initiate therapy. At times, the signs could be misleading also. For example, excessive daytime sleepiness could announce the onset of hypersomnia and is one of the most prominent narcolepsy symptoms. Because several sleep disorders share common features, it often leads to misdiagnosis.

There are two ways this kind of dilemma can be solved. The first is to go for a sleep apnea test that not only reveals how serious the condition is but also the type of illness that the patient is suffering from. The other way is to study other characteristic features of such sleep disorders that are responsible for creating the confusion.

For instance, narcolepsy happens due to neurological dysfunction. Sudden sleep attacks are one of the most significant features of this illness which puts the patient go off to sleep at any time at any place. One would not come across this type of feature in any other illness. The daytime naps leave a narcolepsy patient refreshed; on the other hand, daytime sleeping bouts are non-rejuvenating for other sleep disorders.

Age of onset is also a clear differentiator. Sleep apnea sets in around 50 years of age; other sleep disorders usually start showing the early signs much earlier.

Factors responsible for the onset of the condition

Snoring, inevitable outcome of obesity, when left untreated for a long time worsens into sleep apnea. While obesity triggers the onset, the patient gains weight during the course of the ailment. This happens as a result of a deep association between sleep apnea and weight. The relationship is so strong that without weight loss initiatives in place, therapy options become ineffective.

Nasal blockage causes snoring. Of the many reasons for such blockage, deviated septum is perhaps most common. This causes obstruction in normal airflow during breathing and results in serious distress during sleep.

Sleep apnea treatment – rationale behind choices

There are plenty of therapeutic choices for treating the condition. However, the best line of therapy is chosen after considering site of obstruction in the air passage, severity of the condition and cause of onset of the disease.

If the condition is between mild and moderate, doctors prefer CPAP therapy for restoration of normal breathing. Alongside, weight loss including exercises for breathing muscles, using special pillows, quitting alcohol, raising pillow height, changing sleeping posture are also recommended.

If the cause of onset is deviated septum then deviated septum surgery is compulsory. Surgery is also the best option for treating severe sleep apnea. For rectifying and reposition septal deviation, septoplasty and somnoplasty are the two most preferred surgical options.

Summary

Tracking sleep apnea symptoms is undoubtedly one of the toughest tasks. But if one knows what they are and why they happen, chances are that one can notice them early. This is the only way early diagnosis and speedy recovery is possible from this totally disabling sleep disorder.

I was fortunate enough to read an article in Atlanta in 1989 that described sleep apnea. I had no idea what was going on with me. I was studying to be a chiropractor at the time. We are now fortunate to have the resources online to search and learn more about certain conditions. Many new things to help people who suffer from sleep apnea keep surfacing. Do constant searches online to learn more.