Sleep apnea is a pause in breathing. This cessation can last from a few seconds to minutes. The lack of oxygen in the body triggers a snort or a choke which temporarily corrects it, resuming normal breathing. There can be up to 30 such pauses in breathing per hour. Sometimes it awakes you from sleep. And even when it doesn't wake you up, the difficult breathing can drift you from deep sleep to light sleep.
The 3 types of sleep apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a result of airway narrowing. The soft tissues around the throat area collapses cutting down air flow to the lungs. Snoring is a common feature of OSA.
Central sleep apnea results from a failure to initiate breathing at the brain level. The respiratory center fails to respond to blood gas levels, and this delay creates a pause in breathing. Usually there is no snoring.
Complex or mixed sleep apnea is the presence of both obstructive and central components of sleep apnea. It is often revealed when patients receive treatment (e.g. CPAP) to relieve the obstructive component.
Sleep apnea is often overlooked by patients and misdiagnosed by doctors! Since it happens while you are asleep, it is not easy to relate your symptoms like excessive daytime sleepiness or other illnesses to sleep apnea. Even though snoring is considered a bad habit, people fail to see the link between snoring and sleep apnea. Often the symptoms are vague, making it difficult for doctors to diagnose sleep apnea, unless they question patients and bed partners directly about their sleep habits.
Awareness on sleep apnea on the part of patients and doctors will help better diagnose sleep apnea.
Untreated sleep apnea can,
This is the first part in a series of blog posts to promote awareness on sleep apnea.
Part 2 - Obstructive sleep apnea
Central sleep apnea results from a failure to initiate breathing at the brain level. The respiratory center fails to respond to blood gas levels, and this delay creates a pause in breathing. Usually there is no snoring.
Complex or mixed sleep apnea is the presence of both obstructive and central components of sleep apnea. It is often revealed when patients receive treatment (e.g. CPAP) to relieve the obstructive component.
Why is it important to learn about sleep apnea?
Awareness on sleep apnea on the part of patients and doctors will help better diagnose sleep apnea.
What is the outlook of sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea might seem like an innocent condition. But the lack of oxygen to the body over long periods can weaken your body. The more we study sleep apnea, the more connected sleep apnea becomes to other chronic diseases.Untreated sleep apnea can,
- Cause obesity.
- Increases the chance of developing high blood pressure and diabetes.
- Increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
- Worsens heart failure
- Cause excessive daytime sleepiness
- Increases the risk of accidents at work or while driving
This is the first part in a series of blog posts to promote awareness on sleep apnea.
Part 2 - Obstructive sleep apnea
