Sleep is a vital process for body repair, reenergizing, and upkeep of general health. But it’s also true that many people have their breathing interrupted – often dozens or hundreds of times an hour – while they sleep without realizing it. One of the most common sleep-related disorders responsible for it is sleep apnea. It’s a disease characterized by a repeated cessation of breathing, while sleeping, which compromises your quality of sleep and can even cause multiple health issues when not treated.
Knowing sleep apnea symptoms, causes and the types of sleep apnea can assist you to recognize this disorder at an early stage and take necessary step for your health.
What is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a dangerous sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly ceases and begins while a person sleeps. These pauses may stop as quickly as a few seconds, or last up to minutes, and may stop up to several hundreds of times during a sleep. Since the body wakes up momentarily to breathe again, people with sleep apnea often have interrupted sleep whether they know it or not. The disorder causes breathing problems during sleep, but also fatigue, poor concentration and potential long-term health problems. A lot of people think loud snoring and sleep apnea must go together, although snoring is not always a sign of this condition.
Types of Sleep Apnea
Each with a different cause underlying it, sleep apnea can be classified into three principal types.
1. Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)
The most common type is obstructive sleep apnea. It is believed to be caused by the relaxation of throat muscles during deep sleep leading to temporary airway obstruction. When the airway becomes constricted or collapses, the airflow is reduced, or completely stopped.
Signs of obstructive sleep apnea are typically.
- Loud snoring
- Gasping or choking
- While sleeping stopped breathing
Individuals with OSA are not always aware that their breathing stops, but their partner or family can usually confirm the symptoms.
2. Central Sleep Apnea (CSA)
Unlike obstructive sleep apnea where airways are blocked and the muscles of breathing working, in central sleep apnea the brain does not send signals to the muscles of breathing temporarily during sleep. So not only are there pauses in breathing, but also short intervals where breathing stops despite the fact that the airway is unobstructed.
This form of sleep apnea is uncommon and is usually associated with medical conditions like heart disease, neurological disorders, or specific medicines. Symptoms may include:
- Sudden awakenings with shortness of breath
- Trouble staying asleep
- Multiple night-time awakenings
- Tiredness During the Daytime
3. Mixed Sleep Apnea
Mixed sleep apnea is a mix of obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea. People with this condition have intermittent airway obstruction and abnormal brain signals that control breathing.
Since it has features of the two, mixed sleep apnea can be more difficult to diagnose and treat.
The Signs and Symptoms of Sleep Apnea
The signs and symptoms of sleep apnea are:
- Snoring that is loud and relentless
- Breathing stops that is noticed by another person while you are sleeping
- Gasping or feeling as if you are choking while asleep
- Headache in the morning
- Too much sleeping during the day
- Trouble focusing
- Personality changes or irritability
- Sore throat or dry mouth on waking
- Poor sleep or insomnia
Among these, loud snoring and sleep apnea have been the most consistently included. But snoring by itself does not diagnose the condition; a diagnosis of sleep apnea is necessary.
Sleep Apnea Risk Factors
The primary risk factors for sleep apnea are:
- Excess body weight (BMI >23)
- A family history of sleep apnea
- Age 40 years or older
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes, Thyroid disorder
- Alcohol consumption or smoking
- Nasal congestion or obstructed upper airway
- Heart or neurological diseases
Sleep Apnea Diagnosis
If a patient has symptoms like difficulty breathing while sleeping, loud
snoring, or is always tired during the day, the doctor may suggest a sleep apnea diagnosis through a sleep study test.
Usual methods of diagnosis are:
Polysomnography (Sleep Test)
The test is performed in a sleep lab/at home where you are monitored as you sleep. It tracks a variety of body functions including breathing, oxygen levels, heart rate and brain activity throughout the sleep cycles.
Home Sleep Apnea Tests
Full evaluation is required to identify the type and severity of sleep apnea by doing sleep study tests in presence of trained technicians and recorded data analysis by a Pulmonologist doctor, so that correct treatment can be applied.
Sleep Apnea: Complications
Sleep apnea that goes undiagnosed or untreated can cause a number of serious health problems. The intermittent drops in oxygen levels caused by the breathing disruptions also stress the body.
Potential sleep apnea complications include:
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Uncontrolled Diabetes
- Chronic fatigue
- Memory Concentration Problems-Personality chang
- Daytime sleepiness is associated with an increased risk of accidents.
For this reason, early diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea are important.
Treatments for Sleep Apnea
The good news is that there are a number of effective ways to treat sleep apnea. Treatment is determined by the type and severity of the disorder.
Mild sleep apnea can be relieved by some lifestyle changes, including:
- Maintaining a healthy weight.
- Meditation, breathing exercises
- Sleep on your side,not your back.
- Give up smoking C Alcohol consumption
- Avoid taking tea, coffee 3-4hrs before bed time
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)
CPAP treatment is the standard and most common treatment for obstructive sleep apnea. It employs a device that delivers continuous air pressure through a mask to prevent the airway from collapsing during sleep.
Oral Appliances
Specialized oral appliances can assist in repositioning your jaw or tongue in a way that keeps your airway open when you are sleeping.
Surgical treatment
Surgery may be advised in some cases, to take out excess tissue, fix structural problems, or enhance airflow through the airway. The best treatment strategy should be discussed with a competent healthcare provider.
Conclusion
Sleep apnea is a prevalent, yet frequently underdiagnosed, sleep disorder that can have a serious effect on one's health and life. Awareness of the symptoms of sleep apnea, knowledge about sleep apnea causes and knowing whether one is suffering from one of the types of sleep apnea can be the first steps towards an early diagnosis and effective treatment.
If you or someone you know has loud snoring and sleep apnea, chronic tiredness, or other symptoms of sleep apnea, getting evaluated could help you avoid major problems and have a better night’s sleep. People with a sleep apnea diagnosis are advised that the condition is manageable and that they can still enjoy a full, healthy life if they receive a proper diagnosis and the right sleep apnea treatment options.
