Common symptoms of sleep apnea can include:
- Abnormal sleep patterns
- Choking during sleep
- Daytime sleepiness
- Difficulty with concentration
- Dry mouth or a sore throat in the morning
- Erectile dysfunction
- Falling asleep at inappropriate times
- Frequent pauses during sleep due to breaks in breathing
- High blood pressure
- Irritability
- Loud snoring
- Sudden awakenings to restart breathing
- Waking up in a sweat
The four types of sleep apnea are:
- Obstructive sleep apnea – Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common form of sleep apnea disorder. It occurs when your throat closes as the individual inhales while you sleep. Because of the disorder the patients cannot consume the air and suck it into their lungs. The soft tissue of the pharynx expands and relaxes too while muscles relax during sleep and preventing air flow in the upper respiratory tract. This prevention reduces the amount of oxygen in the blood and forces the patient to wake up and take a deep breath. Men from age 30 to 50 are the main group affected by OSA. People may often feel the mild obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in their lives, but a severe OSA requires a proper sleep apnea treatment.
- Central sleep apnea – Central sleep apnea, also known as Cheyne-stokes respiration, is a rare form of sleep apnea. It occurs when the brain temporarily fails to control the breathing muscles.
- Mixed apnea – Mixed apnea is the combination of obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea. Constantly recurring OSA may sometimes be the reason for central sleep apnea. Cardiovascular, respiratory conditions, weight-related problems can cause mixed sleep apnea.
- Complex sleep apnea – Complex sleep apnea is a type of mixed sleep apnea. Even after obstructions to breathing is removed, you may still suffer from sleep apnea.
Factors that Influence Sleep Apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea is caused when soft tissue in the airway relaxes. Obesity is the main reason for OSA, as the people with obesity carry more muscles and tissue mass. OSA is also linked with some other health problems like nasal congestion and alcohol consumption. OSA in children occurs because of enlarged tonsils and adenoids.
Central sleep apnea is rare in healthy individuals. Any medical condition that occurs in brainstem controls can trigger central sleep apnea, as this part of the brain controls the breathing. There are some certain medical conditions that can cause central sleep apnea such as cardiovascular condition, advanced arthritis, encephalitis, and neurodegenerative conditions (Parkinson’s disease).
The Importance of Sleep Apnea Treatment
Sleep apnea can give you the complications like whole day tiredness, inattentiveness at work, mood swings, accidents risks, high blood pressure, etc. Sleep apnea can increase the heart failure and stroke risks. Your children must be far away from this problem, however children, who are affected by sleep apnea, may become aggressive, high strung, hyper, and prone to bed wetting. They may have also unusual sleeping positions.
Diagnosing Sleep Apnea
If you are suffering from high blood pressure, heart disease, or epilepsy, your dentist or sleep apnea expert can recommend you the diagnostic examination to look for sleep apnea disease. Physical examination for adults includes measuring for a wide neck, looking for enlarged tonsils, and assessing upper body obesity. In children examination, a doctor examines for the enlarged adenoids and confirm if your child has deficit issues.
Doctors examine the patient’s medical history also to diagnose sleep apnea. Symptoms such as drowsiness, headaches, heartburn, and patient medications can influence the diagnosis. A sleep study is performed in a sleep lab to determine whether the individual has the sleep apnea or not.
Sleep Apnea Treatment
After a diagnosis of sleep apnea, your doctor will review treatment surgical and non-surgical options. Non-surgical treatments include medications, behavioral changes, dental appliances, and use of a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP).
- Medication – Nasal airway obstruction can be the reason for sleep apnea which is controlled by nasal steroid sprays. And hypothyroidism treatment helps to reduce the problem of sleep apnea that is pertaining to the thyroid condition.
- Behavioral changes – In most of the cases, behavioral and lifestyle changes may be the best treatment for sleep apnea. The most effective solution is to reduce your overweight and avoid the sleeping positions that increase the snoring.
- Dental appliances – Sleep apnea can be controlled by dental appliances. The dental appliance is custom fit by sleep apnea expert to control the sleep apnea problem. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines use air pressure to ensure that the soft palate does not sag during sleep. The pressurized air is delivered to the patient through a face mask. As the person breathes, gentle air pressure keeps the air passage open and prevents sleep apnea.
