A bad night’s sleep can be caused by a variety of reasons. These include taking caffeine right before bedtime, working late, too much noise, extreme tiredness, and many other reasons. Then there is sleep apnea, which causes more than just a few nights of poor sleep. One may find themselves wondering, what is sleep apnea?
In layman’s terms, sleep apnea is a condition in which a person’s breathing is regularly interrupted while sleeping. Apnea can disrupt sleep up to thirty times in an hour for some people, which can be very discomforting. The brain then sends signals and wakes one up, usually with a bodily jerk or a gasp for air. These nightly disruptions in sleep can have a significant impact on your general health.
We are all aware that insufficient sleep may have a negative influence on a person’s mental and physical health. Constant exhaustion due to sleeplessness makes it hard to focus and get tasks done.
Sleep apnea is far more widespread than people realize. According to the research, sleep apnea affects up to 20% of the population, and about 80% of people with sleep apnea are oblivious that they have it. This might be because the symptoms of sleep apnea are so common.
When the usual risk factors or indicators of sleep apnea, such as obesity and heavy snoring, are lacking, diagnosing sleep apnea can be very difficult. The majority of people seek professional help when their snoring is disturbing somebody else’s sleep, such as a bed partner or roommates.
However, snoring is not the only symptom of sleep apnea. Other indications include fatigue even after hours of sleep, having a dry mouth early in the morning, a sore throat and headaches on waking up, and daytime drowsiness.
Diagnosing Sleep Apnea
The diagnosis of sleep apnea is done by a medical practitioner who will examine the genetic history, signs, and any health problems that may cause sleep apnea. The physician may examine the neck, jaw size, tongue, lungs, heart, and neurological systems for signs of sleep apnea issues.
They may order a sleep study, also known as polysomnography, after the clinical examination to identify sleep apnea. During the sleep study, a sleep technician monitors patients’ blood oxygen levels, brain activity, heartbeat, and respiration as they sleep in a sleep lab.
Doctors may do an endoscopy after a sleep apnea diagnosis to determine the location of the airway obstructions.
Some specialists may prescribe a home test instead of a lab test because it is more convenient. A home sleep apnea diagnosis is not as precise as those done in the lab because it just assesses breathing. Home testing is not the best for people with respiratory illnesses, cardiac problems, respiratory distress, restless leg syndrome, or central sleep apnea.
Causes of Sleep Apnea
When awake, throat muscles maintain the firmness and openness of the airway so air can flow into the lungs. These muscles get more relaxed while we sleep. Usually, the airway remains open to enable airflow into the lungs regardless of the relaxed throat muscles. Your airway might be closed or constricted during sleep if you have sleep apnea. The airway may be obstructed for multiple reasons:
- The chest muscles and tongue relaxing more
- Obesity can result in the addition of fat tissue in the body that can thicken the wall of the windpipe, narrowing its opening.
- The structure of the head and neck may cause a narrower airway between the throat and mouth.
- Smoking is substantially more likely to cause obstructive sleep apnea. It causes inflammation and fluid accumulation in the upper airway
- Congestion in the nose. You’re more prone to develop obstructive sleep apnea if you have trouble breathing via your nose, whether due to anatomic issues or allergies.
- Medical problems. Conditions such as heart problems, hypertension, high blood sugar, asthma, and Parkinson’s disease can all raise the risk of obstructive sleep apnea.
- Growing old increases the risk of both obstructive and central sleep apneas.
- Men are up to three times more likely compared to women to suffer from sleep apnea. Women, on the other hand, are at higher risk if they are obese.
Types of Sleep Apnea
Whenever the question, “What is sleep apnea?” is raised, it cannot be conclusively defined without mentioning the types of sleep apnea. There are three common types of apnea. They include obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea, and complex sleep apnea.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most widespread kind of sleep apnea. The muscles at the back of the throat, which usually relax during sleep, collapse so much in those with OSA, limiting proper airflow. The soft tissues in the back of the throat, including the soft palate, uvula, tonsils, and tongue, are supported by the throat muscles, so when those muscles relax too much, those tissues can drop back into the throat, partially or fully restricting the normal passage of air in the airway.
When the airway is partially closed, a person often begins to snore, which is a typical symptom of OSA. Simply defined, obstructive sleep apnea occurs when there is insufficient air in your lungs throughout the night, and your brain wakes you up to breathe.
Central Sleep Apnea
Central sleep apnea is less common than OSA. It is also more difficult to identify and cure. Central sleep apnea occurs when the brain does not deliver the necessary signals to muscles that coordinate breathing, unlike obstructive sleep apnea, which is caused by a condition that restricts the airway.
Central sleep apnea is caused by a neurological condition. While central and obstructive sleep apneas share many signs, such as breathing interruptions, frequent awakenings throughout the period of sleep, and daytime drowsiness, central sleep apnea frequently affects individuals who have chronic underlying conditions.
Complex Sleep Apnea
It is the result of a combination of obstructive and central sleep apnea. This kind of sleep apnea may appear to be obstructive sleep apnea at first examination. However, unlike normal obstructive sleep apnea individuals, the symptoms of these patients are not entirely addressed by the use of a continuous positive airway pressure machine(CPAP).
Because CPAP is normally very effective in treating obstructive sleep apnea, the patient’s inability to improve could indicate central sleep apnea. Breathing issues remain in people with complex sleep apnea syndrome even when the airway blockage is addressed and treated, indicating that something other than collapsing throat muscles is contributing to the apnea.
Conclusion
After diagnosing sleep apnea, the doctor may prescribe the use of treatment devices, therapies, or even a surgical procedure to open up the airway in moderate to severe conditions.
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), in which a machine distributes constant air pressure through a mask into the nose or mouth, or a mouthpiece intended to keep a patient’s throat open, are common treatments.
In mild cases where patients are having trouble sleeping, the doctor may recommend lifestyle adjustments such as regularly engaging in various physical exercises, but not doing so shortly before bedtime, as this can stimulate adrenaline and keep the patient awake.
Also, reduction of alcohol consumption may help as too much indulgence may disrupt sleep. Caffeine should be avoided before going to bed and development of a sleep ritual that includes taking a warm bath, decreasing the lights, and drinking herbal tea could help.
