Recognizing Your Partner's Sleep Apnea
Do you believe you and your partner may be suffering from sleep apnea? The condition is known to cause a disruption in the way a person breathes while resting at night, making it far more difficult to sleep properly and get the right amount of rest at night. If it is something you are concerned about, there are some things you should know about the condition in advance.
The Signs and Symptoms
Recognizing the signs and symptoms of sleep apnea is important. If you believe this is a condition you are suffering from, make a list of the things you have experienced and compare them to the common signs and symptoms of this condition, such as:
· Difficulty getting a good night’s sleep
· Strange and unusual dreams or nightmares
· Feeling tired even after getting many hours of sleep
· Feeling moody and irritable
· Snoring loud enough to bother someone else
These are some of the things to watch out for when trying to determine if sleep apnea is a condition you or your partner might be suffering from. If you have noticed your partner snores loudly throughout the night, there is a chance he or she is experiencing OSA. If you notice even a few of these signs and symptoms, you may have the condition, too. Often times those with OSA can’t recognize the signs as they appear during sleep. If someone you’re sleeping next to displays the above symptoms, it’s easy to dismiss the signs as simply loud snoring. But also listen and look for long gaps between breaths followed by a startling inhale. This can mean the breathing path is obstructed and further diagnoses are necessary.
Talking to a Physician About Your Concerns
The best thing to do when feeling concerned about this condition is to seek medical assistance. Consider scheduling an appointment with your physician to discuss the different symptoms you have experienced lately. The physician may not be able to diagnose you with OSA right then and there, but he or she may offer a referral to see a specialist where you can undergo a sleep study. The whole purpose of the sleep study is to figure out what is going on with your body when you are resting at night.
During the study, the physicians monitor a number of different things, including brain activity. They may notice if you have stopped breathing for short periods of time while sleeping, which is yet another possible sign of sleep apnea. The goal of the sleep study is to figure out what is causing the symptoms you are experiencing and provide a diagnosis so that you can look forward to receiving treatment to improve the condition.
Getting Help With Treatment
If you or your partner is diagnosed with OSA, the next step to take is to work on a treatment plan that is customized specifically for you or your partner. The treatment may include options that the diagnosed person will have primary control over, such as losing weight and altering sleep patterns and positions. If you start shedding pounds at a healthy pace due to healthy eating and exercising, you may notice you are not experiencing nearly as many symptoms. If a surgical procedure is necessary to improve the condition, the physician will let you know.
Recognizing sleep apnea for yourself or your partner is important. The best thing to do is keep a list of symptoms, visit a physician and ultimately undergo a sleep study to get the process started. Even if you are diagnosed with this disorder, the good news is that treatment options are available and many of those options are extremely effective.
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