Sleep apnea is a condition that I am very familiar with, as I have this problem. It is a common condition that is characterized by pauses in breathing during the night as you sleep. On this page, I will give an overview of this condition, its' causes and how it is treated.
Apnea episodes can last from a few seconds to several minutes, occurring from 5 to 30 times an hour, or more. Usually normal breathing resumes, typically with a snorting or gasping sound. This will cause you to awaken, experiencing a temporary shortness of breath that resolves itself within one or two deep breaths.
It is a chronic condition, one that disrupts your sleep three or more times each week. This translates to a poor quality of sleep, making you feel tired the following day. It is considered a main cause of excessive daytime sleepiness.
It can affect anyone, but certain individuals are at greater risk for developing sleep apnea, including:
Males
Overweight individuals
Individuals over the age of 40
Men whose neck size is 17 inches or greater and 16 inches or greater in women
Individuals that have larger tonsils
Those that have a family history of sleep apnea
What Are the Different Types?
Sleep apnea has several different types. The most common type is obstructive sleep apnea.
With this type, the airway becomes partially or completely blocked during sleep. Often, individuals with this type of apnea have an airway that is more narrow than normal.
Many times air that passes through the blockage causes loud snoring.
Although it can affect anyone, it is most common in individuals that are overweight.
A second less common type of apnea is central sleep apnea. With this condition, your brain doesn't send the proper signals to your breathing muscles, which causes you to stop breathing for brief periods.
There is a third form of sleep apnea called complex sleep apnea. With this type, individuals experience a blockage of the airway, but they also have a problem with the rhythm of breathing with an occasional lapse of breathing effort.
What Causes It?
With the obstructive form of this condition, it is caused when the muscles in the back of your throat relax. That includes the tissue hanging from the uvula, the tonsils and the tongue.
Often, with this type of apnea, individuals may not be aware that their sleep has been interrupted. Many individuals think that they have slept well all night.
Normally, the brain monitors several things to determine how often to breathe.
If it senses a lack of oxygen or an abundance of carbon dioxide in the blood, it will speed up breathing until the blood carbon dioxide levels drop. This causes an increase of oxygen levels in the blood.
With the central form of this condition, it can becaused by heart disease, or less commonly, a stroke. However, certain medications and high altitudes can also cause it.
It can also occur in individuals that have been born prematurely.
With this type, adult individuals are more likely to remember awakenings then with the obstructive form.
How Is It Diagnosed?
If you're experiencing symptoms of apnea, your doctor may recommend that you take an overnight sleep test, in a facility that monitors your sleep patterns.
On the night of your sleep test, you will be assigned to a private bedroom, where you will be attached to special equipment that can send information about your sleeping patterns to technicians in a separate room.
They will attach electrodes to your face and scalp, which will send signals back to the recording equipment. They will also attach belts around your chest and abdomen areas to measure your breathing. They will measure the oxygen levels in your blood by attaching a small probe to the tip of one of your fingers.
Thay may also use other equipment, including an electroencephalogram (EEG), which measures brain wave activity.
They may use an electromyogram (EMG), which measures muscle activity including movement in the face and legs and grinding of teeth. It also determines when you have entered deep, or REM sleep.
An electro-oculogram may also be used to record eye movements. These movements will help the technician to determine what stage of sleep you are in, particularly the REM stage.
They may also use an electrocardiogram (EKG) to monitor your heart's rate and rhythm.
Last, they will use a nasal airflow sensor to record the amount of airflow and a snoring microphone to record snoring activity.
How Is It Treated?
In mild cases of sleep apnea, a conservative approach may be all that's needed including:
Losing weight
Stop using alcohol and sleeping pills
Changing your sleep position throughout the night to go promote regular breathing
Stop smoking
However, your physician may recommend you wear a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) mask, which is worn over your nose and delivers a constant flow of air into your nose and/or mouth.
This will help to keep the airways open so that breathing is not limited.
There are also special appliances you can use that will help keep your airway open during sleep. These devices are usually made by dentists with special expertise in this area.
If you have anatomical problems in your face, such as a deviated nasal septum or enlarged tonsils, your physician may recommend surgery.
Frequent cessation of breathing during the night causes increased stress on the heart. As oxygen levels in the blood decrease, the sympathetic system becomes activated, sending signals to the blood vessels to constrict, and the heart to work harder, thus causing an increase in blood pressure.
Also, for individuals not having high blood pressure, it is estimated that 45% will develop high blood pressure within the next four years.
With the obstructive form, the risk for developing congestive heart failure increases by 2.3 times, with the risk for having a stroke increasing by 1.5 times.
It can also complicate atrial fibrillation treatment. With atrial fibrillation, the heart's two upper chambers quiver instead of beating.
In conclusion, if you notice you or your spouse have suddenly began to snore at night, he may have a more serious condition than you realize and may need to be tested for sleep apnea.
If left untreated, it may be responsible for poor performance in everyday activities of daily living, including school or work.
Consequently, it can also make an individual more likely to have an automobile accident. So I recommend if you think you have apnea, see your physician.
