As the Executive Vice President of 3B Medical Inc., a manufacturer of medical devices for sleep apnea, Alex Lucio can tell you everything you need to know about the disorder.

1. SLEEP APNEA:
HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE IT?
ALEX LUCIO

2. SLEEP APNEA
is a sleeping disorder that
constricts your air passageways
when you’re sleeping. Since it
cuts off much-needed oxygen,
sleepers are woken up several
times throughout the night to
breathe. Do you think you are one
of the 22 million American adults
with sleep apnea? Although this
is a surprisingly large number,
only 20 percent of sleep apnea
cases are diagnosed!
Unfortunately, the only way to
diagnose sleep apnea is to take a
sleep test, but this list of
symptoms can clue you in to see
if a doctor’s visit is in order.

3. YOUR SPOUSE MOVED
TO A DIFFERENT ROOM
This is probably a key indicator that can clue you in if you have sleep apnea —
especially if your spouse usually sleeps in the same bed as you. Although you
are sound asleep throughout the night, the snoring and gasping your partner
hears can keep them up at night! And what’s their only solution? Moving
elsewhere to get a good night’s sleep. If you notice this happens frequently,
talk to your spouse. Surprisingly, most sufferers of sleep apnea aren’t
diagnosed until their spouse says something about it!

4. YOU WAKE UP WITH
A HEADACHE
If you have sleep apnea, you frequently stop breathing throughout the night —
which means your brain gets less oxygen. As a defense mechanism, your
blood vessels expand to allow more oxygen to pass through. However, this
comes at a cost since this can leave you with headaches. Take special notice if
the pain occurs on both sides of your head, because this is where sleep apnea
sufferers get their headaches the most.

5. YOU WAKE UP WITH
A DRY MOUTH
Sufferers of sleep apnea often struggle with breathing through their nose
at night. The next best option? Unconsciously opening their mouth to
breathe. This can leave you with unpleasant dry mouth and even a sore
throat in the morning!

6. YOU FEEL LIKE YOU
DIDN’T SLEEP AT ALL
Although you got your recommended eight hours of sleep every night, you still
feel like you didn’t sleep at all. Why? Sleep is constantly interrupted
throughout the night because breathing temporarily stops — kind of like
choking — and your body wakes up to let you know that you’re choking.
Throughout the night you’re losing quality sleep, which will leave you feeling
exhausted when you wake up. This is especially dangerous for drivers, since
driving while tired is similar to driving under the influence of alcohol.

7. VISIT ALEXLUCIO.NET
FOR MORE INFORMATION
ALEX LUCIO