Sleep Apnea increases morbidity and mortality

Do you have excessive daytime sleepiness?  Do you snore loudly?  Do you gasp or choke during sleep?  Do you feel groggy and have morning headaches?  Do you feel depressed and irritable during the day?  Are you obese or a large neck?  All of these questions reflect increased risk for sleep apnea.  When your heart doesn't get the oxygen it needs, high blood pressure results.  Chronic high blood pressure creates irregular heart beats, increases risk of heart attack and stroke. 

The excessive daytime sleepiness complaint may seem benign to many people.  But daytime accidents or work related accidents can be related to sleepiness.  Talk with your doctor if you have any of these symptoms, and if a sleep disorder is diagnosed, you will probably do a sleep study.  This is where you go to a sleep lab and they will do their best to make you have a good night's sleep.  While you are sleeping we can monitor your heart beat, your sleep stage, your oxygen saturation.  We will be able to tell if you have true sleep apnea.   We will talk about treatment tomorrow.