Sleep symptoms and issues to see your GP about – including tingling legs
dailystar.co.ukDaily Record.Here, GPs share five signs and five symptoms to never ignore.It might seem harmless but heavy snoring might be a sign of sleep apnoea.“This is an often-missed cause of poor sleep, responsible for chronic tiredness during the day, and even road traffic accidents if sufferers fall asleep at the wheel,” says GP Dr Claire Morrison, a medical advisor for MedExpress (medexpress.co.uk).“It’s caused by the throat repeatedly closing off during sleep, making oxygen levels fall, and resulting in frequent waking.
It’s most common in those who are overweight and who have a thick neck.”Other signs include waking with a dry mouth and/or headache, and feeling very tired and irritable during the day, she says.Or your partner might notice long pauses between breaths when you’re asleep, and then a gasping or choking sound when breathing resumes.
While mild cases don’t always need to be treated, in extreme cases sleep apnoea can be dangerous – the NHS notes a higher chance of having a stroke and a serious accident caused by tiredness.It could be a sign of anaemia, says Dr Ross Perry, a GP and medical director of Cosmedics (cosmedics.co.uk). “Other symptoms [of anaemia] include a lack of energy, pale looking skin, headache, dizziness, light headedness, cold hands and feet and brittle nails.”Extreme tiredness can also be a key sign of undiagnosed or insufficiently treated thyroid disease, he adds.
The condition occurs as a result of a decrease in thyroid hormone production. “You may sleep more than usual but still feel completely exhausted.
Read more on dailystar.co.uk
