Sleep Apnea

The word "apnea" is a Greek word meaning "without breath." This is an appropriate name for sleep apnea. Sleep apnea disorder is a condition that causes a person to stop breathing repeatedly during sleep.
 
A person who has apnea may wake up more than 20 times an hour yet may not remember waking up at all in the morning. This is a potentially serious condition.
 
 

Types of Sleep Apnea 
Several different types of sleep apnea exist:
  • central sleep apnea
  • complex sleep apnea
  • obstructive sleep apnea.

Causes of Sleep Apnea Disorder

The different types of sleep apnea have different causes. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the muscles in your throat relax, effectively obstructing or blocking your trachea, or air passage. Obstructive apnea may also be caused by trachea air blockages as a result of:
  • fatty tissue in your throat
  • your tongue
  • your tonsils.
Men get obstructive sleep apnea, the most common type of apnea, more frequently than women.
 
Central sleep apnea is the result of a nervous system disorder. While a patient who has obstructive sleep apnea tries to breathe and cannot, a patient with central apnea does not breathe because the brain either does not send the correct signals to the muscles that help you breathe, or the signals are interrupted along the way.
 
Fewer than 10 percent of patients who are diagnosed with apnea have central sleep apnea. Central sleep apnea is often caused by heart disease.
 
Complex sleep apnea has features of both obstructive and central apnea.

Symptoms of Sleep Apnea Disorder

Symptoms of sleep apnea can vary from person to person and will depend on the type of apnea. Common symptoms of sleep apnea include:
  • falling asleep during the day
  • heavy snoring
  • long pauses between breaths when sleeping
  • morning headaches
  • shortness of breath
  • tiredness.

Complications of Sleep Apnea Disorder

Complications of sleep apnea can range from those that are slightly annoying to those that are very dangerous. In many cases, the complications from sleep apnea are directly related to symptoms:
  • daytime tiredness
  • difficulty concentrating
  • irritability.
In addition, loud snoring can complicate the sleep of spouses or partners.
 
Sleep apnea can also lead to cardiovascular problems as a result of drops in oxygen levels in the blood. This can lead to high blood pressure. High blood pressure, in turn, can lead to heart failure or strokes. Sleep apnea can also affect recovery from surgeries.

Diagnosing Sleep Apnea Disorder

Sometimes doctors will diagnose sleep apnea based on symptoms. In other cases, you may be referred to a sleep disorder center. Some sleep apnea tests can also be conducted at home. A sleep disorder test includes:
  • A Polysomnogram (PSG): This test is the most common type of sleep apnea test. A PSG will measure factors including eye movement, brain activity and the amount of oxygen in your blood while you are sleeping. Sometimes, this test can be administered at your home instead of in a sleep center.

  • An Oximetry: This test can be taken at home and involves measuring your oxygen while you are sleeping. This test is often used in conjunction with other tests.
In addition, your physician may send you to a specialist such as a cardiologist, a neurologist or an otolarygologist, which is an ear, nose and throat doctor, for further testing.

Sleep Apnea Prevention

Lifestyle changes can lower the risk of getting sleep apnea and may help in lessening sleep apnea symptoms. In fact, for mild sleep apnea, you physician may simply recommend lifestyle changes as treatment. If you have obstructive sleep apnea or want to avoid developing sleep apnea, you should:
  • avoid alcohol
  • avoid sleeping on your back
  • avoid tranquilizers or sedatives
  • maintain a healthy weight
  • maintain a healthy blood pressure level
  • stop smoking, or avoid smoking if you do not smoke.

Sleep Apnea Disorder Treatments

If you have obstructive sleep apnea, your physician may have additional recommendations beyond making lifestyle changes. These recommendations might include medical procedures or surgeries such as:
  • Maxillomandibular Advancement: This procedure moves and adjusts the jaw, making obstructing the trachea more difficult. This surgery is often performed with other surgeries.

  • Tracheostomy: During this procedure, a tube is inserted into the neck to assist with nighttime breathing. This is the most drastic surgery for sleep apnea.

  • Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty: This procedure involves a surgeon removing tissues from the mouth and throat. While this helps to reduce snoring, this surgery does not always cure sleep apnea if the blockage occurs below the area where the tissue is removed.
Other less invasive methods are also used to treat sleep apnea. Your physician may suggest using oral devices that keep your throat open at night. Your doctor may also recommend that you use a machine that provides continuous positive airway pressure while you sleep.
 
Resources
 
American Academy of Physicians (n.d.). Sleep Apnea. Retrieved January 4, 2008, from the FamilyDoctor.org Web site: http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/articles/212.html.

Mayo Clinic (2007). Sleep Apnea. Retrieved January 4, 2008, from the MayoClinic.com Web site: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sleep-apnea/DS00148.

National Institute of Health (2006). What is Sleep Apnea? Retrieved January 4, 2008, from the NIH.gov Web site: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/SleepApnea/
SleepApnea_WhatIs.html.