Sleep Apnea: Symptoms, Causes and Treatment Options
Sleep apnea is a serious sleep condition in which breathing stops whilst you’re asleep.
Because of its impact on breathing, it’s really important to identify and treat sleep apnea early.
There are a number of effective treatment options available, including devices to keep your airway clear.
What is sleep apnea?
A potentially serious sleep disorder affecting breathing during sleep. There are three main types of sleep apnea:
Obstructive sleep apnea: this is the most common form and occurs when the muscles of the throat relax and cause a temporary block to your airway.
Central sleep apnea: occurs when your brain doesn’t accurately send signals to the muscles that control your breathing.
Complex sleep apnea syndrome (treatment-emergent central sleep apnea): occurs when someone has both of the above two types of sleep apnea.
What are the symptoms of sleep apnea?
Some common signs of sleep apnea include:
Loud snoring
Someone seeing your breathing stop when you are asleep
Waking up suddenly and gasping or choking
Waking up with a dry mouth or sore throat
Fatigue or difficulty paying attention during the day
Difficulty staying asleep (insomnia)
High blood pressure.
Risk factors for developing sleep apnea
Sleep apnea can affect anyone, but certain factors may increase your risk. These can include:
Medical conditions: such as congestive heart failure, type 2 diabetes, asthma and high blood pressure.
Nasal congestion: difficulty breathing through your nose.
Smoking: smokers have a higher chance of experiencing sleep apnea as smoking causes inflammation and fluid retention in the upper airway.
Family history of sleep apnea
Being male: men are 2 to 3 times more likely to develop sleep apnea than women.
Weight: additional weight can increase your risk of developing sleep apnea due to airway obstruction.
Effects of sleep apnea on the body
Sleep is an extremely important function of mind and body health. Sleep supports your body to heal, to process and remove toxins from your body, to restore energy, to regulate hormones and to support mental wellbeing.
When you have sleep apnea, your quality of sleep can be impacted.
Sleep apnea is a serious medical condition which, if left untreated, can lead to:
High blood pressure
Fatigue
Heart problems
Type 2 diabetes
Liver problems
Complications with medications and surgery.
Diagnosis and treatment
If you think you may have sleep apnea or may be at risk of developing it, speak to your doctor. They can do a thorough assessment of your situation.
Diagnosis will often involve an evaluation of your symptoms and sleep history. This may involve overnight monitoring of your breathing and body functions during sleep.
You may be referred to a specialist, such as an ear, nose and throat specialist to check for any nose or throat blockages.
Depending on the severity of your sleep apnea, treatment can include:
Health lifestyle changes including weight loss or quitting smoking
Use of devices to open up blocked airways
Use of a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP machine)
Treatment of any associated medical conditions
Surgery where there is a blockage or other treatment options have not helped.
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