How to Know You Suffer from Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea, a disorder that causes breathing interruptions during sleep, raises serious health risks, and can have severe effects on quality of life. The right treatments from our San Francisco dentist can dramatically reduce or even stop symptoms, making sleep apnea recognition important. Here is how you may be able to tell if you have sleep apnea.

Extreme Fatigue

You may wake up dozens or even hundreds of times per night if you have sleep apnea. As a result, you may feel drowsy all day and have difficulty staying awake without large amounts of caffeine or other stimulants.

Breathlessness

Interruptions in breathing add up to low blood oxygen levels and feelings of breathlessness. This may be most severe immediately after rising, but it can reduce physical and mental endurance all day as the body continues to lack oxygen.

Snoring and Inconsistent Breathing During Sleep

You may not notice these problems, but a bed partner might. Many, but not all, sleep apnea patients snore. Gasps and pauses between breaths may mark apnea episodes and can be very noticeable to a bed partner.

Sleep apnea may be treated with oral appliances or soft tissue surgery. By scheduling a consultation with our sleep apnea dentist in San Francisco, you can learn more about signs of this condition.