What is Sleep Apnea?
Obstructive Sleep Apnea is when the windpipe is blocked during sleep. People who have sleep apena can stop breathing 10 to 30 seconds at a time while they are sleeping. This can happen up to 400 times every night. This can be serious and in some cases life-threatening.
Everyone with Obstructive Sleep Apnea snores, but not everyone who snores has OSA. It’s not the snoring that causes the problems, it’s when the person stops breathing. Sleep Apnea is characterized by repetitive episodes of upper airway obstruction that occur during sleep, usually associated with a reduction in blood oxygen saturation. In other words, the airway becomes obstructed at several possible sites. The upper airway can be obstructed by excess tissue in the airway, large tonsils, a large tongue and usually includes the airway muscles relaxing and collapsing when asleep. Another site of obstruction can be the nasal passages. Sometimes the structure of the jaw and airway can be a factor in sleep apnea.
This causes the person momentarily wake up, they may not even realize they are waking up 50 or more than a hundred times a night. They never get a “good night’s rest” and will be tired during the day, constantly falling asleep, while watching TV, in class and sometimes even while driving.
In order to confirm Obstructive Sleep Apnea you have to be evaluated in a clinical sleep center. This will not only confirm the presence of OSA, but they will be able to determine the precise settings you’re cpap machine need to be set at to give you the best results.
Some symptoms that may be present in a person with Sleep Apnea may include:
- excessive daytime sleepiness (because the person never really falls into a deep REM sleep)
- frequent episodes of obstructed breathing during sleep. (The patient may be unaware of this symptom — usually the bed partner is extremely aware of this).
- extremely loud snoring
- morning headaches
- dry mouth upon awakening
- chest retraction during sleep in young children (chest pulls in)
- high blood pressure
- irritability
- change in personality
- depression
- difficulty concentrating
- excessive perspiring during sleep
- heartburn
- reduced libido
- insomnia
- frequent nocturnal urination (some men will mistake this for prostate problems when fact it is more related to sleep apnea).
- restless sleep
- nocturnal snorting, gasping, choking (may wake self up)
- rapid weight gain (Weight gain is due to not being in deep REM sleep when the pituitary and thyroid glands control metabolism).
- confusion upon awakening
Sleep Apnea is a potentially life-threatening condition that requires immediate medical attention. The risks of undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea include heart attacks, strokes, impotence, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure and heart disease. In addition, obstructive sleep apnea causes daytime sleepiness that can result in accidents, lost productivity and interpersonal relationship problems. The severity of the symptoms may be mild, moderate or severe.
This is a long list, but Sleep Apnea can be treated with the right CPAP Machine coupled with a good fitting mask and by having the CPAP Machine properly adjusted by the CPAP technician.
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Causes of obstructive sleep apnea
When you have obstructive sleep apnea, your throat collapses during sleep, blocking the airway and preventing air from getting to the lungs. Generally, your throat muscles keep the throat and airway open.
Causes and risk factors of sleep apnea:
- Large tonsils or adenoids or other anatomical differences. (A deviated septum, enlarged tongue, or receding chin can also create difficulties breathing during sleep)
- Being overweight or obese (although almost 50% of people with sleep apnea are not obese)
- Throat muscles and tongue relax more than normal during sleep. (This can be due to alcohol or sedative use before bedtime, but not necessarily)
- Shape of head and neck may create a smaller than normal airway.
- Smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke.
- Family history of sleep apnea – No specific genetic marker for sleep apnea has been discovered, but obstructive sleep apnea seems to run in families. This may be a result of anatomic abnormalities that run in the family
- Nasal congestion, nasal blockages, and nasal irritants.
- Snoring – Snoring can cause the soft palate to lengthen, which in turn can obstruct the airway.
- Other physical conditions, such as immune system abnormalities, severe heartburn or acid reflux and high blood pressure. It isn’t clear whether the conditions are the cause or the result of sleep apnea.
- Other disorders and syndromes – Hypothyroidism, acromegaly, amyloidosis, vocal cord paralysis, post-polio syndrome, neuromuscular disorders, Marfan’s syndrome, and Down Syndrome
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