Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome is a dangerous disease that is manifested primarily by nighttime snoring and occasional pauses in breathing during sleep . The danger of the disease lies in the fact that it negatively affects all systems and organs, accelerates the development of cardiovascular and other diseases, threatens with a high risk of heart attack, stroke and sudden death.

Sleep apnea should be actively identified in people who snore. In patients whose disease remains untreated for a long time, the prognosis worsens every year. It is important for snorers and their relatives to know the symptoms by which the disease can be suspected.

In the presence of sleep apnea, the symptoms of the disease and their severity are determined by the severity of the person’s condition.

Main groups of symptoms

All symptoms are divided into several groups:

• neurological and cognitive disorders;
• disorders of the cardiovascular, respiratory systems;
• hormonal and metabolic disorders.

Neurological disorders

Neurological symptoms of sleep apnea syndrome are caused by intermittent, with frequent awakenings, restless night sleep and increased motor activity that occurs against its background, as well as episodes of respiratory arrest. As a result, the quality of sleep suffers and its structure is disturbed.

At different stages of the disease, patients have neurophysiological disorders, manifested by fatigue, morning headaches, irritability, daytime sleepiness, increased fatigue, a significant decrease in working capacity, concentration and memory. As the disease progresses, the emotional background suffers in patients, anxiety or depression appears, and later on, personal changes with intellectual degradation.

Cardiovascular disorders

Disorders of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems are manifested by arterial hypertension, which occurs in almost 50% of patients with sleep apnea syndrome, rhythm and conduction disturbances of the heart, and accelerated progression of coronary disease. If you have Cheyne-Stokes sign, you should consider central sleep apnea.

Obstructive sleep apnea can cause strokes, it significantly increases the risk of
myocardial infarction, early atherosclerosis. In some cases, patients experience impotence. Sleep apnea plays a significant role in the progression of metabolic and Pickwickian syndrome, as well as
chronic lung diseases (bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive bronchitis).

A patient with obstructive sleep apnea talks about what symptoms bothered him before treatment.

Where does it all begin?

Given the possible consequences, it is necessary to know the initial symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in order to contact a specialist in time. It:

• regular strong night snoring with respiratory arrest (according to relatives), especially if a person has high blood pressure, diseases of the cardiovascular system, lungs, diabetes mellitus;
• dissatisfaction with the quality of sleep – frequent awakenings at night, early waking up, inability to fall asleep for a long time;
• increased daytime sleepiness, emotional disturbances;
• decreased attention, memory, performance;
• nocturnal koshari, gnashing of teeth;
• discomfort in the arms or legs (tingling, “crawling”).

OSAS in childhood

Signs of sleep apnea in children are the following symptoms:

• breathing through the mouth during the day;
• restless, with frequent awakenings, nocturnal sleep;
• bed-wetting;
• sleeping in unusual positions, snoring;
• excessive sweating during sleep;
• behavioral disorders, emotional disorders;
• fast fatigue.

In the presence of even a small number of “alarming” signs, the patient must go to a specialized medical institution to see a somnologist for examination. Doctors of the Center for Sleep Medicine at the Clinic for Rehabilitation in Khamovniki successfully carry out diagnostics (in the department and at home), treatment and prevention of sleep disorders.