People with obstructive sleep apnea may wake repeatedly in the middle of the night, producing loud snoring. Others notice pauses in their breathing while sleeping or find that they need to urinate frequently at night.what is sleep apnea? Sleep apnea is a condition that can cause a variety of problems. Obesity increases the risk of sleep apnea, as does having a thick neck or enlarged tonsils or adenoids. Alcohol use and certain medications can also increase the risk.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
If a child has loud, disruptive snoring or pauses in breathing during sleep, a doctor might recommend a sleep study. The test is painless and doesn’t require a hospital stay.
This is the most common type of sleep apnea. During this disorder, your throat muscles relax during sleep, and they can close or narrow your windpipe, which interferes with your ability to breathe. This can cause your body to stop breathing for 10 seconds or more — a period of reduced oxygen called hypopnea or, if the airway closes completely, a period of no breathing (apnea).
This disrupts healthy sleep and can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, and other problems. People with this form of sleep apnea often feel tired or have trouble functioning during the day, but these problems aren’t always clear to them or their families. They may have memory or concentration problems, irritability, headaches, depression, hyperactivity, or trouble staying awake in school.
Central Sleep Apnea
People with central sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly while asleep due to problems in how their brain signals the muscles that control breathing. The most common symptom of this condition is feeling tired after sleeping, but it can also include snoring, choking sensations or a sense of smothering or suffocation during breathing pauses. These pauses may occur sporadically during the night or in a cyclical pattern.
The problem happens when the brainstem that normally monitors blood levels of carbon dioxide and stimulates respiration fails to signal the muscles properly. As a result, the breathing cycles between apnea and hyperpnea.
Certain medical conditions, like heart failure, pulmonary fibrosis and Parkinson’s disease can contribute to this disorder. Other risk factors include being a male, having an older age and taking medications like opioids or steroids. Congenital central hypoventilation syndrome or a stroke can also cause this condition. Treatment options focus on the underlying medical condition that’s causing the apnea.
Complex Sleep Apnea Syndrome
People with this less common type of sleep apnea experience a combination of obstructive and central apnea. It happens when the brain fails to send proper signals to breathing muscles. This disrupts the normal flow of oxygen to the brain and body, causing drops in blood oxygen levels.
CSA events may occur during any stage of sleep, but they are most commonly seen in Stage 1 and 2. They can be accompanied by loud snoring or sounds of choking. Often, people with CSA don’t remember the episodes.
People with CSA may develop heart disease or other health problems. They also may have a bluish color to their skin (cyanosis). A doctor will diagnose sleep apnea based on a medical history and symptoms. They will likely recommend an overnight test called a polysomnogram, or PSG, which monitors your heart rate, airflow, blood oxygen levels, brain waves and other factors while you sleep in a special lab.
Treatment
Treatment options include lifestyle changes, such as losing weight, avoiding alcohol and sleeping pills, treating nasal allergies, and changing sleep positions (try sleeping on your side instead of your back). You can also try wearing a mouthpiece, which a dentist can custom-fit for you. These devices pull your lower jaw forward, which opens the airway, and can also help with snoring.
In some cases, your doctor may suggest using a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine. This uses a mask that delivers a steady flow of air into your throat while you sleep. Surgery is an option for some people who do not find relief from other treatments. In this procedure, your surgeon removes tissue from the back of your throat or palate (uvulopalatopharyngopalatoplasty), which can open up your airway. Your adenoids and tonsils are usually removed, too.
It is important to stick with your treatment plan and report any new symptoms or problems to your doctor. If you do not, your condition could worsen and lead to serious complications or even death.