All About Sleep Apnea Headaches

There are a number of risk factors for OSA such as:

Obesity
• Smoking
• Gender (men tend to get OSA more than women)

Obstructive sleep apnea is a dangerous condition and needs to be treated. If you don’t treat OSA you put yourself at risk of accidents while driving or at work. Long-term, obstructive sleep apnea can lead to other health problems like stroke, heart attack, and even dementia. 

How Does Sleep Apnea Cause Headaches?

Sleep apnea causes headaches because of low blood oxygen levels. Because air can’t get into your airway you don’t get as much oxygen. This leads to carbon dioxide building up in your bloodstream.  The carbon dioxide then expands your blood vessels, specifically the ones in your head. The expanding blood vessels cause sleep apnea headaches. 

What Makes Sleep Apnea Headaches Different?

In order to know if your headaches are caused by sleep apnea, it’ll help to understand how sleep apnea headaches are different from other headaches.  Other types of headaches you might feel in the morning that are not related to sleep apnea are:

• Migraines
• Cluster headaches
• Tension headaches  

Migraines are a common type of headache. Along with pulsing pain, migraines also come with other symptoms like nausea, sensitivity to light and sound, and achiness.  Cluster headaches happen in clusters at at time. So you might have several headaches at the same time every day for a few days, and then not feel anything for a year. These headaches also come with other symptoms, namely runny nose, teary eyes, and droopy eyes.  Tension headaches are the most common type of headache. A tension headache feels like having a band around your head. The pain from a tension headache can be mild to moderate.  Sleep apnea headaches are more of a pressing pain instead of a pulsing pain (like what you might feel with a migraine). This pain will be felt on both sides of your head.  The biggest difference between sleep apnea headaches and other types of headaches is the presence of other symptoms. You won’t experience nausea or any kind of sensitivity with a sleep apnea headache. 

How Do You Know If Your Headache is Caused by Sleep Apnea?

The best way to know if your headache is caused by sleep apnea is to get a diagnosis.  But before you call your doctor you should take note of any other signs of sleep apnea. Pay attention to how you feel in other ways. Keep a journal of your symptoms. Note how your head feels and how many mornings you wake up with a headache.  Also, write down any other symptoms you notice. Symptoms of sleep apnea that you should be looking out for include:

• Daytime sleepiness
• Snoring
• Gasping for air during the night

Snoring and gasping for air at night aren’t things you’ll know about yourself. But you can ask your partner if they notice anything.   You’ll want to take this journal to your consultation.  Diagnosing sleep apnea involves a physical examination, a review of your symptoms and medical history, as well as a sleep study. The goal of the diagnosis is to not only figure out if you have sleep apnea but also what the cause is. Then we can develop a treatment plan. Once we treat sleep apnea, any related headaches will go away.