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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffSigns and symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea include:
- Excessive daytime sleepiness (hypersomnia)
- Loud snoring
- Observed episodes of breathing cessation during sleep
- Abrupt awakenings accompanied by shortness of breath
- Awakening with a dry mouth or sore throat
- Morning headache
- Frequent urination at night
- Difficulty staying asleep (insomnia)
When to see a doctor
Consult a medical professional if you experience, or if your partner observes, the following:
- Snoring loud enough to disturb your sleep or that of others
- Shortness of breath that awakens you from sleep
- Intermittent pauses in your breathing during sleep
- Excessive daytime drowsiness, which may cause you to fall asleep while you're working, watching television or even driving a vehicle
Many people don't think of snoring as a sign of something potentially serious, and not everyone who has sleep apnea snores. But be sure to talk to your doctor if you experience loud snoring, especially snoring that's punctuated by periods of silence. With sleep apnea, snoring typically is loudest when you sleep on your back, and it quiets when you turn on your side.
Ask your doctor about any sleep problem that leaves you chronically fatigued, sleepy and irritable. Excessive daytime drowsiness (hypersomnia) may be due to other disorders, such as narcolepsy.
- Strohl KP. Overview of obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 16, 2009.
- Sleep apnea. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/SleepApnea/SleepApnea_WhatIs.html. Accessed March 16, 2009.
- Kline LR. Clinical presentation and diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 16, 2009.
- Kryger MH. Management of obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 16, 2009.
- Olson E, et al. Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome. Primary care: Clinics in office practice. 2005;32:329.
- Ballard RD. Management of patients with obstructive sleep apnea. The Journal of Family Practice. 2008;57(suppl):S24.
- Welch KC, et al. Sleep disorders. In: Lalwani AK. Current Diagnosis and Treatment in Otolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery. 2nd ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2828912. Accessed March 16, 2009.
- 510(k) summary: Pillar palatal implant system. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/pdf4/k040417.pdf. Accessed March 18, 2009.
