Table of Contents
Introduction:
Sleep apnea is when the person stops breathing during sleep, and the brain awakens the person to breathe. This may disturb healthy sleep and lead to serious complications over time. It may affect anyone of any age group. Certain methods can treat and prevent sleep apnea.
What Is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a sleeping disorder in which breathing abruptly starts and stops. If a person notices snoring and feels tired after a complete overnight sleep, it indicates sleep apnea.
There are different types of sleep apnea.
These include:
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Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA): This type of sleep apnea is more common. This condition is seen when the throat muscle relaxes and prevents air from entering the lungs.
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Central Sleep Apnea (CSA) occurs when the brain does not send signals to the muscles that control breathing.
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Treatment-Emergent Central Sleep Apnea: This type of sleep apnea occurs when treatment is given to OSA. It is considered complex because it is diagnosed as OSA after a sleep study, but while treating OSA, it gets converted to CSA.
The word apnea is a Greek word meaning breathless. Apnea occurs due to airway blockage (OSA) or when the brain does not control breathing (CSA). This causes insufficient oxygen, which triggers a survival reflex. The survival reflex wakes the individual to resume the stopped breathing. The survival reflex helps keep the person alive and interrupts the sleep cycle. This may further result in complications like stress on the heart and other serious complications.
Sleep apnea is uncommon and may affect 5–10% of people worldwide.
What Are the Causes of Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea has specific causes. The evidence has shown that it runs in families. OSA is caused by an obstruction in the windpipe to pass the air due to the muscles relaxing while the person sleeps.
CSA has many causes.
These include:
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Low blood oxygen levels are due to high altitude.
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Damage to the nervous system occurs in the brainstem (manages breathing) or parts of the spinal cord.
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When OSA is treated with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP).
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A condition related to the nervous system is called Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
The main cause of sleep apnea is the anatomy or structure of the body. This condition is related to bone structure and anatomy, and hence, it cannot be prevented. However, some lifestyle changes can help reduce the risk of developing sleep apnea.
Some risk factors include:
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Males are at higher risk of developing.
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The age group of 40 to 70 years is at higher risk of developing.
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Increased weight may show a higher risk.
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Smoking habit has an increased risk of developing.
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The habit of drinking alcohol has an increased risk.
Some may have one or more reasons for developing sleep apnea. Some may not show any symptoms of sleep apnea, despite these risk factors. Genetics plays a role in the development of sleep apnea.
What Are the Symptoms of Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea exhibits many symptoms. These include:
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Experience Weakness and Exhaustion While Waking: Individuals affected by sleep apnea experience tiredness even after sleeping the whole night.
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Feel Sleepy During the Daytime: In severe cases, these individuals feel drowsy during all activities.
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Snoring: Snoring is considered the most common feature of sleep apnea. Sometimes, sleep apnea may also be observed without snoring.
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Mood Changes: Sleep apnea may cause mood changes due to depression and anxiety.
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Affected Brain Functions: Sleep apnea may exhibit symptoms like memory loss, difficulty concentrating, and other brain-related problems.
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Waking up Repeatedly in the Night: Waking up often at night may not be felt or known to the person affected by sleep apnea. They remember waking up for reasons like heartburn or going to the bathroom.
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Pauses in Breathing: This symptom may be observed by others.
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Breathing Patterns: Breathing patterns may become unusual. A breathing pattern called Cheyne-Stoke’s breathing (CSB) is observed in CSA. CSB exhibits fast breathing that becomes deeper and shallower until breathing stops. Then, there is a pause, after which breathing starts again. The pattern of breathing CSB repeats.
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Insomnia: This condition is one in which the sleep is improper, and many activities get disrupted.
Other symptoms include:
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Night sweats and restlessness in the night.
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Experience sexual dysfunction.
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Awaken because of shortness of breath.
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Experience headaches, especially when the individual wakes up.
How to Prevent Sleep Apnea?
The cause of sleep apnea is the anatomy or structure. These include problems in the neck or jaw, fat deposits responsible for the narrowing of airways, and changes in brain functions that affect breathing. Certain lifestyle changes can help decrease the risk of developing sleep apnea.
These lifestyle changes include:
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Healthy Weight Management: Obesity and sleep apnea share similar effects. Both conditions cause inflammation and stress in the body. It was noticed that almost 50 % of obese people suffer from sleep apnea. Obesity may increase fat deposits in the neck, leading to airway collapse. Hence, lowering obesity by keeping the body active and having a nutritious diet may help reduce weight and reduce the risk of sleep apnea.
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Quitting Smoking Habit: Researchers have noticed the association between smoking and sleep apnea. They observed that heavy smokers were at higher risk for the development of sleep apnea, and individuals with sleep apnea were found to be smokers. Smoking can increase the inflammation and narrowing of airways, leading to worsening sleep apnea.
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Decreasing the Intake of Alcohol: Alcohol causes sedative effects easily and affects a person’s sleep. This may cause the snoring to worsen. The person may sleep heavily and cannot wake up to get needed oxygen. Alcohol may cause the tongue muscle to relax more easily and cause snoring.
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Sleeping Position: Sleeping position may help with sleep apnea. Adjusting to sleep on the sides and stomach rather than on the back helps, as sleeping on the back narrows the airways.
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Exercise: Regular exercise may help reduce the risk of sleep apnea. Aerobic or cardiac exercises like walking, bicycle riding, and swimming may help the heart function properly. It helps improve sleep quality.
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Regular Visits to Healthcare Providers: Discussing sleep apnea with healthcare providers helps, and their suggestions may also help prevent the condition.
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Use of Appliances: Certain oral appliances help reposition the tongue and jaw, which may help open the airways during sleep.
Conclusion:
Sleep apnea is a disorder related to sleep during which there is a disturbance in breathing leading to decreased oxygen levels. It may cause many health issues like heart failure, decreased immune function, and mental health problems. Hence, it becomes important to know about sleep apnea, its causes, symptoms, and how to prevent the condition. Knowing about it helps identify the condition early. Early diagnosis helps achieve effective treatment. This, in turn, helps achieve a good quality of life.
