. Sufferers of this illness, as with many illnesses are often affected to some degree from mild to extremely severe symptoms.
The condition is recognized, more often than not, by close relatives of the sufferer of the disorder. There are a few reasons for this. Firstly the sleep apnea sufferer is usually more aware of feeling constantly tired and 'doesn't make the connection' between their sleeping and the tiredness.
A good analogy to think of this is that an alcoholic is often the last to recognize the s/he has a problem. Now, this isn't to say that a sufferer is like an alcoholic it's because there is often existing a state of denial or non recognition. Part of the solution is therefore to understand that a problem exists and then to have some tests done to see the extent of the problem and what cures may be necessary and sufficient.
What are the symptoms of sleep apnea like?
This is one of the most commonly asked questions and a person suffering from mild symptoms may only feel slightly tired - not enough to seek medical advice.
Sleep Apnea is different from snoring in one important way. Sufferers wake up multiple times a night sometimes up to five hundred. Within a few seconds the person is back to sleep again. This may sound trivial but this 'rhythm' interrupts the sleep cycle so much that the cortex of the brain registers to the person that they have woken up and are then going back to sleep so a chemical imbalance results which perpetuates the illness.
It is very uncommon for sleep apnea sufferers to get a natural cure when not being aware of the condition and 9 times out of 10 then the condition gets worse.
There is a correlation, though between sleep apnea and being overweight. In fact someone's whose BMI is 40% over the average is 3 times more likely to either suffer of develop sleeping disorders including sleep apnea and snoring - if not both!
Now, as for other health problems caused by the disorder one of the most serious is high blood pressure which is a major contributing factor to both strokes and heart attacks - so the earlier one can tackle this condition the better as it can have far reaching effects.
What are the cures?
These vary, but if the illness is being caused by being too overweight a sensible diet often will reduce or lessen the effects and as always you should consult your doctor before embarking on any treatment. Another cure for much more severe cases is the use of CPAP machines - these are expensive and often intrusive but in many cases they do work well.