Demystifying Sleep Apnea: What Happens While You Sleep?
Many people don’t realize that they are potentially causing serious health problems each time they go to sleep, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and depression. The condition causing these problems is called sleep apnea, which affects about 26% of adults. In this article, we will go over what sleep apnea is as well as some of the potential symptoms.
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by pauses in breathing or shallow breaths during sleep. These pauses can last for a few seconds to minutes and may occur multiple times throughout the night. Sleep apnea often disrupts the normal sleep pattern, leading to poor quality of sleep and daytime fatigue.
There are three main types of sleep apnea
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)
This is the most common form of sleep apnea. It occurs when the muscles in the back of the throat fail to keep the airway open, despite the effort to breathe. The obstruction can be caused by relaxed throat muscles, excess tissue in the throat, or structural abnormalities.
Central Sleep Apnea (CSA)
This type is less common and involves a failure of the brain to transmit proper signals to the muscles that control breathing. The airway is not blocked, but the brain fails to signal the muscles to breathe.
Complex Sleep Apnea Syndrome (also known as Mixed Sleep Apnea)
This type is a combination of both obstructive and central sleep apnea. Initially, it starts as obstructive sleep apnea, but after treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), central sleep apnea emerges.
If you think you may have sleep apnea it is recommended that you speak with your doctor, but here are a few signs to look out for. Symptoms of sleep apnea include loud snoring, gasping for air during sleep, morning headaches, excessive daytime sleepiness, difficulty concentrating, irritability, and restless sleep. Sleep apnea is often diagnosed through a sleep study called polysomnography, which measures various parameters during sleep, including breathing patterns, brain activity, and oxygen levels.
Treatment options for sleep apnea include lifestyle changes (such as weight loss and avoiding alcohol and sedatives), continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, oral appliances, and, in some cases, surgery to correct anatomical abnormalities. It's important to consult a healthcare professional for an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Despite it being so common sleep apnea is very serious, treating it can help you avoid many health complications down the line.
Additionally, you can learn more about snoring in our blog post: "Why Do We Snore? Exploring Common Causes" or "Biotin and Weight Gain: A Well-Researched Analysis"
Lori Atkins
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