If you feel that your sleep quality is worsening throughout your pregnancy and you wake up feeling tired, it may be a sign of sleep apnea , a syndrome that can develop during pregnancy.
Specialists believe that pregnancy is related to an increase in apnea, especially after the sixth month of gestation, due to the woman's weight gain. After the ninth month, the nasal membranes swell due to the dilation of blood vessels. Weight management is one of the main recommendations for preventing or solving this issue.
Some people interpret snoring during pregnancy as a transitory event that does not require any treatment. Likewise, both physicians and patients may attribute daytime fatigue to the fact of “being pregnant”, instead of considering the possibility of sleep apnea. This results in the pregnant woman not having an accurate diagnosis, as she is not referred to a sleep specialist.
Symptoms of Sleep Apnea in Pregnant Women
The symptoms of sleep apnea in pregnant women include:
- Loud and persistent snoring.
- Suffocation or feeling out of breath due to a lack of air and agitated sleep.
- Breathing pauses during sleep (apnea).
- Morning headaches.
- Daytime drowsiness.
- Problems with concentration and irritability.
- In the long term, if no treatment is assigned, the patient may develop symptoms such as hypertension, gestational diabetes, infarction, and heart failure.
Snoring is the main symptom of sleep apnea. However, it is important to know that not all snoring is a consequence of this disorder. During pregnancy, especially during the third trimester, the increase in snoring can have different causes, including:
- Hormonal changes, an attribute of pregnancy: Progesterone, which is necessary for the uterus to have contractions until delivery, relaxes the muscles of the airways. Therefore, there is a greater probability that they will collapse or narrow, leading to snoring.
- Weight gain characteristic of pregnancy.
- Other associated sleep problems, such as restless legs syndrome or increased nocturnal awakenings to go to the bathroom.
Complications during Pregnancy Brought by Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea during pregnancy can bring along several complications for both the mother and the fetus, for example:
- The baby is born underweight.
- Premature births.
- Risk of the mother developing pre-eclampsia.
- Risk of developing gestational diabetes and the possibility that high blood sugar levels promote cardiovascular diseases.
The diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea is both simple and necessary . The Biologix Sleep Test® is a type IV polysomnography that can be conducted at home using only your cellphone and a wireless compact sensor. Therefore, it does not alter the patient’s sleep routine. The patient just needs to place the sensor on their finger before going to sleep and start the test on the Biologix app. When waking up the next morning, they tap on “Finish test”, and they will receive their results in a matter of seconds.
Pregnancy might be the right time for detecting undiagnosed cases of sleep apnea. If a woman suffers from any of the aforementioned symptoms, she should seek a physician to receive an accurate diagnosis and treatment.
IMPORTANT! Only properly qualified physicians and dental surgeons can diagnose diseases, recommend treatments and prescribe medications. The information available herein is for educational purposes only..
Sources:
http://hadassahbrasil.org/despertando-para-um-novo-diagnostico-apneia-do-sono-durante-gravidez/
https://br.guiainfantil.com/materias/gravidezapneia-do-sono-durante-a-gravidez/
https://www.rcsaudeesono.com.br/loja/noticia.php?loja=622331&id=37
