Sleep apnea refers to any one of the common disorders that result from pauses during your breathing while you sleep. There are many possible contributing factors that could cause your breathing to be disrupted. However, it is crucial to speak with your healthcare provider about the potential risks posed by this pausing of breath. Sleep apnea may cause you to feel tired or depressed - at worst, however, the risks of sleep apnea can be fatal. If you are experiencing sleep apnea, speak to your healthcare professional about potential treatments that are right for you.
Sleep apnea is a common condition that affects millions of Americans. The chronic breathing disorder in which one repeatedly stops breathing during the night may be due to a partial or complete obstruction (or collapse) of the upper airway, typically affecting the base of the tongue and the soft palate.
It also may occur due to a depressed signal from the brainstem to initiate a breath. These events last 10 seconds or longer, and may occur hundreds of times per night. Someone with sleep apnea may experience loud snoring, brief pauses in breathing, and intermittent gasping. During apnea events, the oxygen level of the blood drops, the heart rate increases, and sleep becomes disrupted as the affected person wakes up to resume breathing.
The effects of sleep apnea can have significant consequences on one's sleep quality, daytime function, and overall health.
Sleep apnea is a generic term that includes any disorder that causes pauses in breathing during sleep. It may affect someone at any age, but the prevalence of sleep apnea increases beyond middle age. There are three main types of sleep anpea, which include the following:
Sleep apnea is not the only problem that can lead to difficulties breathing during sleep. There are a few other problems that do not cause a complete pause in the breathing but may still be problematic, such as snoring, Catathrenia (sleep groaning), or Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome (UARS).
It is also important to recognize that oxygen levels may drop during sleep if lung function is compromised due to pulmonary disease, and this would require distinct treatment.
Aside from the pauses in breathing which are typical of the disorder, there are many other common symptoms in sleep apnea. These symptoms may include:
Not all of these symptoms must be present for the condition to occur, and children with sleep apnea may present with different complaints like growth problems, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and restless sleep.
There are a few common causes of obstructive sleep apnea, and these situations could also make existing sleep apnea worse, including:
In addition, central sleep apnea may occur due to a stroke, heart failure, or the use of narcotic or opioid pain medications. Complex sleep apnea occurs with certain treatments.
Sleep apnea is actually relatively common. When sleep apnea is defined as having more than five apneic events per hour, then some 22% of men and 17% of woman would be afflicted with sleep apnea.
If someone will develop sleep apnea, they will typically do so by age 65. It is more common among men.
The diagnosis of sleep apnea often depends on a careful history and physical examination by a qualified, board-certified sleep medicine physician. In general, either a home sleep apnea test or an attended diagnostic polysomnogram that is done in a testing center are the only tests required to diagnose sleep apnea. Further testing is accomplished using a set of standard diagnostic tests, potentially including:
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