Three Overlooked Ways The Body Warns Of Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a medical condition that manifests as periods in which breathing stops and starts when an individual is sleeping. For many, this telltale symptom makes identifying and diagnosing this condition easy. However, sleep apnea can reveal itself in a number of additional ways, which people commonly overlook.
Dry Mouth
When people have a hard time catching their breath, they tend to open their mouths to increase their air intake. People with sleep apnea will sometimes sleep with their mouths open in an unconscious effort to improve their breathing.
Sleeping with your mouth open can have a drying effect. So, if you often wake up in the morning with a noticeably dry mouth, it is worth taking a closer look at the cause of this issue. Keep in mind that; a dry mouth can increase the risk for oral conditions, as the lack of saliva makes it easier for bacteria to grow, so do not ignore the problem.
Frequent Urine Release
When the average healthy person wakes in the morning, they feel a sudden need to release their bladder. It is not that the need to release suddenly activated when the person woke up, but instead, it is that the need to release was somewhat suppressed by their sleeping state.
The stop-start sleep pattern of people with sleep apnea often means that this suppression status cannot be achieved. So, as a result, as the individual wakes up during the night, they feel the emergent need to empty their bladder and they end up making multiple trips to the bathroom during the night.
Acid Reflux
The varying breathing pattern that a person with sleep apnea follows through the night produces a number of physiological changes in the body; one of which is frequent airway pressure changes. One concern that arises from these pressure changes is reflux.
In simple terms, the airway changes make it easier for the acids inside the stomach to travel upward into the esophageal area. When the acid moves upward, it often causes a sour taste in the mouth upon waking up. However, some people may experience more noticeable symptoms, such as heartburn and the regurgitation of small amounts of a very sour liquid substance.
You deserve to have restful, productive sleep every night. If you suspect you have sleep apnea, contact a sleep clinic to learn more about the options available to help manage this condition.
Reach out to a medical care facility, such as Elkview General Hospital, to learn more.
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