A condition characterized by the inability to breathe when you’re asleep is known as sleep apnea. This occurs due to either of these conditions:
- There is a blockage in your airway, which is known as obstructive sleep apnea.
- Your brain fails to control your breathing like before, which is known as central sleep apnea.
When your body realizes a lack of oxygen, it activates a survival reflex that wakes you to resume breathing. While that reflex may be responsible for keeping you alive, it also disturbs your sleep cycle, resulting in restless sleep. If untreated, it may also lead to stress in your heart, which is life-threatening.
To prevent complications and manage your symptoms well, you must get yourself diagnosed at the earliest.
What Are the Different Kinds of Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a sleeping disorder that may progressively get worse if left untreated. It disturbs your breathing patterns, which in turn makes you snore and experience fatigue despite a full night’s sleep. There are different types of sleep apnea, such as:
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA): This is the most prevalent kind, which happens when the throat muscles relax and block the airflow into the lungs.
Central Sleep Apnea (CSA): This occurs when the brain fails to send proper signals to the muscles responsible for breathing.
Treatment-emergent Central Sleep Apnea: Also called complex sleep apnea, this occurs when someone is suffering from OCA and diagnosed with a sleep study, further converting to CSA when getting therapy for OSA.
What Are the Symptoms of Sleep Apnea?
The symptoms of obstructive and central sleep apneas may make it difficult to understand which kind you have. The most prevalent symptoms of obstructive and central sleep apneas consist of
- Loud snoring
- Instances where you stop breathing while asleep, which would be noted by someone else
- Gasping for breath during sleep
- Waking up with a dry throat
- Headache in the morning
- Trouble maintaining sleep, referred to as insomnia
- Excessive drowsiness during the day, referred to as hypersomnia
- Struggling to focus while awake
- Irritability
What are the Causes of Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea occurs due to two of these reasons:
- A blockage of airflow in your upper airway during sleep
- An issue with your brain regulation when you’re breathing during sleep.
What are the Risks Associated with Sleep Apnea?
Any person can develop sleep apnea. It impacts both children and adults. Some general risk factors associated with sleep apnea include:
- A familial history of sleep apnea
- Cardiovascular issues, a cerebrovascular accident, or hypertension
- Enlarged tonsils
- Obesity
The risk of developing this condition escalates with advancing age. Males are more prone to obtain a diagnosis before reaching the age of 50.
Moreover, although obesity increases your risk of sleep apnea, individuals of any body size may develop this disorder.
How is Sleep Apnea Diagnosed?
Sleep apnea diagnosis requires an assessment of medical history, a physical examination, and sleep studies. A sleep study, which is also referred to as polysomnography (PSG), is usually performed overnight in a sleep laboratory or at home with a portable device.
This examination monitors breathing patterns, oxygen levels, and other bodily functions while sleeping to look at the intensity of sleep apnea. Using these results, healthcare providers can provide an efficient treatment plan to address the condition and improve overall sleep quality.
If you are experiencing the symptoms of sleep apnea, it is recommended that you visit a healthcare professional for a proper diagnosis.