Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

The word apnea literally means “without breath.” Obstructive means that something is in the way. In the case of obstructive sleep apnea or obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, what gets in the way of breathing is soft tissues that lack bone or cartilage. These might involve the soft palate, the tongue, and/or the tonsils.

When you’re fully awake, these structures generally remain in a position that allows air to flow freely through the trachea, the mouth, and the nose. You also subconsciously use muscles to keep the airway free. When you’re asleep, however, these soft parts relax and fall into the path of the air, partially or completely blocking its progression.

When this happens, you miss breaths, causing you to awaken enough to correct the situation. People with sleep apnea might wake up as many as 60 times a night, and people with severe sleep apnea often awaken as many as 100 times during a night’s sleep.

Symptoms of sleep apnea

The direct symptoms of sleep apnea are often not realized by the sufferer. Observers watching a person with the condition, however, might recognize several symptoms of sleep apnea in the sleeper, include excessive snoring, restlessness, and a cessation of breathing for short periods of time, usually followed by a gasping for breath. The person might stop breathing for only a few seconds. People with severe sleep apnea can stop breathing for longer intervals.

Sleep apnea and snoring

Sleep apnea and snoring often, but not always, go hand in hand. When the soft tissues are relaxed, they often vibrate when air passes through them. This noise results in what we call snoring.

Sleep apnea and snoring are not always synonymous. More important than the snoring itself is whether or not the sleeping individual stops breathing while sleeping.

Sleep apnea effects

Even though someone with sleep apnea cannot observe their own condition directly, they can most certainly feel the sleep apnea effects the next day. Signs of sleep apnea include daytime drowsiness, loss of concentration, fatigue, and depression.

The sleep apnea effects, especially in someone with severe sleep apnea, can be devastating. They can cause you to fall asleep while driving or while engaging in other activities in which you need to be fully alert.

A person with severe sleep apnea gets very little REM sleep and rarely reaches the deep levels of sleep needed to restore the body.

Another sleep apnea symptom or signs of sleep apnea is a frequent or pounding headache or a morning headache. Erectile dysfunction in men is also a sleep apnea symptom.

Causes of sleep apnea

Doctors are still studying the causes of sleep apnea. Several risk factors, however, have been identified as probable causes of sleep apnea. These include having a large neck, being overweight, enlarged tonsils and/or adenoids, having a large tongue, smoking, nasal congestion, a deviated septum, a receding chin, hypothyroidism, Down syndrome, and certain neuromuscular disorders.

Other causes of sleep apnea are a family history of the condition, as well as the use of sedatives and alcohol.

Sleep apnea diagnosis

A sleep apnea diagnosis is made through a sleep test. Such a sleep test is conducted at sleep apnea centers. If you’ve experienced signs of sleep apnea, your doctor can send you to one of many sleep apnea centers for a sleep test.

Typically, you report to the center at around eight o’clock in the evening, ready for bed. At most sleep apnea centers, you’ll have a private room that is set up much like a guest room in a home rather than a hospital room.

After answering questions and taking a sleep apnea quiz, you’ll be hooked up to monitors that will measure your sleep and breathing patterns, along with your oxygen saturation levels. During the sleep test, health care professionals at the sleep apnea centers observe patients’ actions during slumber via a camera. The next morning, you’ll be allowed to return home

If the results of the sleep test indicate sleep apnea, most sleep apnea centers will schedule the patient with another visit. On the next visit, you’ll be fitted with one of the sleep apnea machines like a CPAP for sleep apnea. The results of the second sleep test will be compared to the first.

Treating sleep apnea

In treating sleep apnea, your doctor might try several sleep apnea remedies. Cures for sleep apnea might include weight loss, discontinuing the use of alcohol or sedatives, or simply changing sleep positions. Sleep apnea is more likely when the person sleeps on his back and less likely when he sleeps on his side. Treating sleep apnea, especially mild cases, could be as simple as arranging pillows so that the person cannot roll over onto his back.

Sleep apnea remedies might also include sleep apnea aids like mandibular advance teeth molds. These cause the bottom teeth and the jawbone to protrude slightly, which helps keep the airway open.

Sleep apnea aids like tongue devices might also provide sleep apnea help. This device provides suction between the top and bottom teeth, pulling the tongue forward in an effort to avoid its obstructing the airway.

For people who don’t respond to the above sleep apnea remedies, as well as for those with severe sleep apnea, several types of sleep apnea machines are available as effective cures for sleep apnea. These sleep apnea machines are called CPAP, which stands for continuous positive airway pressure. It forces air through your nose or mouth via a face mask or nasal tube. The pressure is adjusted to fit your individual needs.

Another of the sleep apnea machines is a Bi-PAP, a bi-level positive airway pressure machine. With the Bi-PAP, the force of the airflow decreases when the person exhales and increases as the person inhales. Many patients find the Bi-PAP much more comfortable than the traditional CPAP sleep apnea machines.

Sleep apnea aids also include autotitration sleep apnea machines. These automatically adjust the airflow according to the patient’s needs at that specific time, unlike the CPAP and the Bi-PAP.

Oxygen may also be prescribed by your doctor. This is usually in the form of an oxygen concentrator that works directly with other sleep apnea machines.

Surgery for sleep apnea

Surgery for sleep apnea usually involve removing part of the soft tissues that obstruct the airway and/or repositioning the bones involved, including the hyoid, the geniotubercle, and/or the jawbone.

The oldest from of surgery for sleep apnea is tracheostomy. This procedure involves making an incision in the neck and inserting a plastic tube, completely avoiding the soft tissues altogether. This surgery is rarely used now as a cure for sleep apnea.

The newest form of surgery for sleep apnea is called palatal restoration. This procedure is much less invasive than other procedures and is often performed in a doctor’s office, under local anesthesia. Small inserts are placed in the small palate to give it additional support. This way, it won’t relax during sleep to obstruct the airway.

Hypertension sleep apnea

Long term sleep apnea effects include hypertension, or high blood pressure. Doctors are not sure about the relationship between hypertension and sleep apnea, but studies show that over 50% of patients with untreated obstructive sleep apnea have hypertension. Hypertension sleep apnea usually abates once effective sleep apnea remedies are used by the patient.

Sleep apnea death

Sleep apnea death is a serious concern for those with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Causes of sleep apnea death include myocardial infarction and stroke, especially in individuals with severe sleep apnea.

Using a CPAP or similar sleep apnea machines, however, drastically reduces the risk of sleep apnea death. Studies show that people who use a CPAP for at least six hours a night reduce their risk by as much as 96%.

My experience with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

Several years ago, I never slept more than an hour at the time. Every hour, I would have to get up to go to the bathroom. I often had headaches in the morning, and I was always tired and sleepy. On my way home from work, I had to fight to stay awake on the interstate. It was very scary, and I never felt rested.

I was pretty sure I had severe sleep apnea. Many members of my family have it, and I certainly fit the profile. I was overweight, with a thick neck, a large tongue, and huge tonsils. I talked to my doctor about it, and he set up a sleep study.

After my first visit to the sleep study center, I got the news. I did, indeed, have severe sleep apnea. A second sleep study was scheduled.

On the second visit, I was fitted with a CPAP. I slept like a baby for the first time in years! It was great. I slept for six hours straight, with no getting up to go to the bathroom. After that night’s sleep, I felt wonderful.

I was sent home with an order for a Bi-PAP, and I love it. Now, I never have to get up during the night. As long as I can get six hours of sleep, I never get drowsy during the day, either. I think I’d shoot someone over my sleep apnea machine!

There is sleep apnea help available. If you think you might have sleep apnea, see your doctor. Submit to a sleep study – what are two nights out of your life? Effective sleep apnea help will definitely change your life for the better!

Sleep apnea quiz

Think you might have this serious sleep disorder? Take the sleep apnea quiz below. If you answer “yes” to two or more questions, you might have obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

1. Do you still feel tired after a night’s sleep?

2. Do you snore loudly and frequently?

3. Have you been observed gasping for breath in your sleep?

4. Have you been observed holding your breath during sleep?

5. Do you suffer from depression?

6. Do have trouble concentrating?

7. Do you feel sleepy during the day?

8. Do you have morning headaches?

9. Are you unusually irritable during the day?

10. Do you have trouble remembering things?