Sleep Apnea – Six Signs That You Might Recognize
3 min readSleep Apnea – Six Signs That You Might Recognize
About three years ago, I really started to wonder what was wrong with me. I knew that I was a little overweight; okay, a lot overweight, but otherwise I was healthy. My wife first brought it to my attention, but it didn’t concern me that much. Finally, I decided that I needed to do something about it. How did I finally figure it out? I went to the doctor, who ordered some tests. The diagnosis came back, and it was what I thought it was going to be: sleep apnea. I had it figured out before the doctor told me, but in order to get some relief, I needed to be seen by a professional. There are certain signals that indicate that a person has sleep apnea. Here is what I struggled with.
Snoring. Apparently, I had been snoring for quite a while, but I was usually asleep, so I did not notice. My wife told me. However, there were times that I would even wake myself with my snoring. If you snore, it could be a sign of sleep apnea. My wife said that often she would listen during the night. She poked me at times to start breathing again. That is what sleep apnea is, a cessation of breathing while asleep.
Falling asleep at inopportune times. If you sat me down for more than fifteen minutes at a time, without keeping me busy, I would be asleep. That would include meetings, church, watching TV, at work at my desk, riding as a passenger in a car, you name it, I could fall asleep. When I would sleep at these times, it would not be for very long. If you can fall asleep at the drop of a hat, you might have sleep apnea.
Lack of energy. Aside from falling asleep at just about any time, I lacked the energy to do very much. The slightest task would tire me very quickly. If you do not feel like doing much of anything, because it will tire you out, you may be a sleep apnea sufferer.
Waking to go to the bathroom more often. I have seen the commercials about lack of control, so I thought that might be a problem. Because of the sleep apnea, my body could not control itself like it should.
Depression. I have read that depression can be a big sign of sleep apnea. That is one of the issues that I did not have to deal with. I can see how that could definitely be a problem, however.
Decreased sexual desire. While my vanity tells me that I did not have this problem, I am almost certain that I suffered from this malady.
You may not have a spouse to tell you if you suffer from any of the above sleep apnea signals. You may recognize yourself in some of these instances. If you do, seek out a professional and get help. Not too long ago, someone in a community close to where I live died in his sleep. He was a snorer, who because of his pride, refused to go and see a doctor. No one knows whether or not he died because of sleep apnea, but he could have. Sleep apnea is a very dangerous condition. I now sleep with a CPAP (Continuous Positive Air Pressure) machine every night. I am doing much better than I was three years ago. The snoring has stopped. I am able to stay awake when I need to. I have more energy. I do not awaken during the night to urinate. I do not deal with depression. As for the last sign, I have no comment, but you could ask my wife.
