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Originally posted by LeopardSeal
I woke up during the night, after some hours of sleep. I dont know why i woke up, but it might be that my dog made a loud sound, or because i had to pee (i have to pee at least twice a night). At the moment i woke up, i felt little constant waves of feeling very weird, feeling feeble and weak (something i never felt before).
Originally posted by defcon5
Originally posted by LeopardSeal
I woke up during the night, after some hours of sleep. I dont know why i woke up, but it might be that my dog made a loud sound, or because i had to pee (i have to pee at least twice a night). At the moment i woke up, i felt little constant waves of feeling very weird, feeling feeble and weak (something i never felt before).
Waking up repeatedly, especially to pee, during the night is one of the first signs that we look for when assessing sleep apnea. The Oxygen Desaturation, and the struggling associated with Apnea will most certainly make you feel drained. There is a whole list of things apnea does, I suggest you check into it and get tested.
What are obstructive sleep apnea symptoms?
Obstructive sleep apnea has many well-studied consequences. First, as you would expect, it disrupts sleep. Patients with disrupted sleep cannot concentrate, think, or remember as well during the day. This has been shown to cause more accidents in the work place and while driving. Thus, people with obstructive sleep apnea have a three-fold greater risk of a car accident than the general population (there aren't many diseases that can kill the patient AND the people in the car next to him or her!).
High blood pressure
Sleep apnea causes high blood pressure and heart problems. Stopping breathing frequently during the night (every 1-4 minutes) can cause increased stress on the heart. As the oxygen saturation in the blood decreases and the apnea continues, the sympathetic system (“Fight or Flight” response) is activated. This sends nerve signals and adrenaline signals to the blood vessels to constrict and to the heart to work harder. When the vessels constrict, more blood is sent to the brain and muscles. However, this increases the blood pressure, which requires the heart to work harder to pump blood through the smaller vessels. That, combined with the signal for the heart to work harder and the lower available oxygen in the blood, causes increased stress on the heart throughout the night. During sleep is the time when the heart usually has less work to do and can “rest.”
Among patients with obstructive sleep apnea that do not have high blood pressure, 45% will develop high blood pressure within 4 years. If you look at patients who have hard-to-control blood pressure, that is, taking more than one medicine for control, 80% have obstructive sleep apnea. When the obstructive sleep apnea is treated, the high blood pressure comes down. For more, please read the High Blood Pressure article.
Heart complications
The risk for congestive heart failure increases by 2.3 times and the risk of stroke by 1.5 times with obstructive sleep apnea. For more, please read the Congestive Heart Failure article.
Obstructive sleep apnea can complicate atrial fibrillation treatment. Atrial fibrillation is a condition in which the upper part of the heart (atrium) is beating out of coordination with the lower part (ventricle). The treatment is to cardiovert the heart, which resets the atrium and allows it to synchronize with the ventricle. After cardioversion, 50% of patients have a recurrence of atrial fibrillation, but patients with obstructive sleep apnea have an 80% recurrence. Finally, obstructive sleep apnea can increase the risk of sudden death. For more, please read the Atrial Fibrillation article.
Obstructive sleep apnea has many consequences, some of which can kill patient and their loved ones. Again, it is estimated that only 10% of people with obstructive sleep apnea are being treated. Just treating the obstructive sleep apnea would improve many other areas of their lives.