Symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)
Night-time symptoms
- Snoring, usually loud, habitual, and bothersome to others, is found in almost all patients with obstructive sleep apnea. However, not all snorers suffer from OSA.
- Apneas (pauses in breathing) that often interrupt the snoring and end with a snort
- Gasping and choking sensations that intermittently arouse the patient from sleep
- Restless sleep (insomnia), with patients often complaining of frequent arousal and tossing/turning during the night
Daytime symptoms
- Excessive tiredness, for example inability to stay awake while reading or watching television
- Waking without feeling refreshed
- Morning headache
If untreated, obstructive sleep apnea may have serious consequences. Obstructive sleep apnea affects the cardiovascular system due to the periods of poor oxygenation during sleep and the stress on the body during attempts to re-initiate breathing. This may result in heart failure, arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms), or hypertension (high blood pressure).
Poor sleep due to recurrent arousals may result in excessive daytime sleepiness, personality changes, memory loss and intellectual impairment.