What is obstructive sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea is a disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops for more than ten seconds during sleep. These interruptions can cause brief awakenings many times throughout the night, often without the person realizing it, leading to fatigue the next day.
THERE ARE 2 TYPES:
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)
Central Sleep Apnea (CSA)
What is obstructive sleep apnea?
There are two main types of sleep apnea: central sleep apnea (CSA) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), with OSA being the most prevalent, affecting 1 in 5 adults in mild cases and 1 in 15 in moderate to severe cases. This serious disorder can cause you to stop breathing during sleep due to repeated blockages of the airway, limiting airflow to your lungs. As a result, you may experience loud snoring or choking sounds, leading to oxygen deprivation that can wake you up multiple times a night, sometimes even hundreds of times in severe cases.
In many cases, an apnea, or a short pause in breathing, is caused by the tissue in the back of the throat collapsing. The muscles of the upper airway relax when you fall asleep and if sleeping on your back, gravity can cause the tongue to fall back narrowing the airway and reducing the amount of air that can reach your lungs. This narrowed airway can also cause snoring due to the vibration of throat tissue. If you often wake up feeling tired despite a full night's sleep, it could be a sign of sleep apnea, leaving you fatigued, unable to concentrate, or prone to unintentional naps throughout the day. This is because your body is waking up numerous times during the night, even though you might not be conscious of each awakening.
The lack of oxygen your body receives can have a negative impact on your health. This includes:
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High blood pressure
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Heart disease
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Stroke
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Pre-diabetes and diabetes
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Depression
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There are approximately 80-90% of OSA cases that go undiagnosed in the United States according to the American Medical Association. Through the use of a sleep study, either in a lab or at home, your medical provider can diagnose sleep apnea and provide you with treatment recommendations that best fit your needs.
WHAT ARE SYMPTOMS OF OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA?
The most common symptom of sleep apnea is snoring. However, not everyone who snores has sleep apnea. Snoring is likely to be a symptom when it is followed by silent breathing pauses and choking or gasping sounds.
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Other common symptoms of sleep apnea include:
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Loud or frequent snoring
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Silent pauses in breathing
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Choking or gasping sounds
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Daytime sleepiness or fatigue
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Unrefreshing or restless sleep
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Insomnia
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Morning headaches
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Waking frequently during the night to go to the bathroom
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Difficulty concentrating
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Memory loss
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Decreased sexual desire
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Difficulty maintaining an erection
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Irritability​
WHAT ARE THE RISK FACTORS
OF OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA?
​One of the major risk factors for sleep apnea is excess body weight. You are much more likely to have sleep apnea if you are overweight or obese. However, there are cases in which sleep apnea is also found in slim people.
Other common risk factors for sleep apnea include:
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Excess weight: Your risk for sleep apnea is higher if you are overweight (with a body mass index of 25 or more) or obese (with a body mass index of 30 or higher).
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Large neck size: Your risk for sleep apnea is higher if you have a neck size of 17 inches or more for men, or 16 inches or more for women. A large neck has more soft tissue that can block your airway during sleep.
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Middle age: Sleep apnea can occur at any age. However, it is more common between young adulthood and middle age.
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Male gender: Sleep apnea is more common in men than in women. For women, the risk of sleep apnea increases with menopause.
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Hypertension: High blood pressure is common in people who have sleep apnea.
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Sedation: Medication or alcohol can interfere with the ability to awaken from sleep and can lengthen periods of apnea.
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Airway abnormalities: Examples are a deviated septum or nasal polyps.
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Family history: You have a higher risk of sleep apnea if a family member also has it. Inherited traits that increase the risk for sleep apnea include obesity and physical features such as a recessed jaw. Other common family factors—such as physical activity and eating habits—may play a role.