Symptoms and signs in adults indicating that one is suffering from apneas during sleep are usually loud snoring, breathing interruptions, nocturia, waking up with a dry mouth or with morning headache, problems with concentration and consequently a feeling of excessive drowsiness during the day (2,9). Such patients suffer from high blood pressure leading to all its consequences apart from gradual interruptions in glucose tolerance. They represent a risk group for myocardial infarction or stroke during sleep.
Although the influence of apneas in terms of high blood pressure is not of significant value (the apnea can cause high blood pressure permanently ranging from 5 to 10 mmHg (9A)), OSA remains an important entity when it comes to the correlation with cardiac arrhythmia, depression, GERD (Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease) and metabolic syndrome, together with the aforementioned.
In case of children, OSA is also accompanied by loud snoring, unpleasant waking up during sleep, and an adenoid face may be a result. Usually children with OSA breath through their mouth, feel drowsy during the day and this can also result in hyperactivity (4).