This article from Dawson Dental Centres might be helpful if you have patients who are concerned about knowing the difference between snoring and sleep apnea.
Identifying Sleep Apnea on your own can be difficult as most of the symptoms such as gasping for breath, choking, snoring and the inability to breathe only occur when you are asleep. Your partner can help observe your sleeping habits, or you can record yourself when you are asleep. Keep a sleep diary and record how often you wake up at night. If you have a partner, ask him or her to keep track of how loud, and how often you snore. Also, ask your partner to take note of choking, gasping, or other sounds that are unusual while you are sleeping.
Talking to your doctor is the best way to diagnose sleep apnea. Your doctor will be able to provide you with a sleep study in order to determine the root cause of your symptoms.
Remember, not everyone who snores suffers from sleep apnea, and not everyone who suffers from sleep apnea snores. One of the bigger clues can be how you feel during your waking hours. Normal snoring does not cause extreme fatigue like sleep apnea does.
