Sleep apnea is a common condition in which breathing ceases for a several seconds many times during sleep. This cessation of breathing can occur anywhere from a few times an hour to hundreds of times during the night, and each pause has to last long enough to miss what would normally be at least few breaths or longer (even minutes). This triggers a response from the brain – it tells the body to either wake up or take a big breath, often resulting in snoring or snorting. It doesn’t necessarily wake up the sleeper, but it does result in a lack of deep sleep, bringing about daytime sleepiness and fatigue.
Loud snoring is the biggest indication that someone might have sleep apnea, but not everyone who snores has the condition. While sleeping, the soft tissue in the throat collapses, either narrowing the airway or obstructing it completely. Other symptoms include a change in your breathing pattern, silent periods during sleep, choking or deep gasps to get air back in the lungs (sometimes accompanied by a sudden awakening), restless sleep and a feeling of tiredness during the day.
It’s likely that you don’t know whether or not you have sleep apnea. The condition can be tricky to diagnose – there are no tests you can do for it (e.g., blood tests) that don’t involve you being asleep. A regular visit to your doctor won’t do it, either – you need to get yourself to a sleep apnea clinic and go through some sleep tests to know for sure.
There are three types of sleep apnea: obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea and mixed sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common. Left untreated, it can lead to more serious complications such as sleep deprivation and low levels of oxygen in the blood.
The big difference between obstructive and central sleep apnea is that in central sleep apnea, the issue lies within the brain. In obstructive, you’re trying to breathe; in central, the brain essentially forgets to tell your body to breathe. This can result in far worse complications than obstructive apnea, such as seizures, brain damage and death. Most of the time, however, central sleep apnea produces much milder results. Mixed sleep apnea, sometimes referred to as complex sleep apnea, is a combination of obstructive and central sleep apnea.
There are a few treatments available for sleep apnea sufferers. Those who are overweight or obese are at greater risk for sleep apnea, so one of the ways to control it is to lose weight. Try not to sleep on your back, as that can increase the gravitational component to tissue collapse, leading to apnea.
You can also get a dental device for sleep apnea that will keep the airway open while you sleep, effectively eliminating the problem. This only works for obstructive sleep apnea, however. Sleep apnea implants also work in much the same way. Another option is surgery, with the aim of increasing the size of the airway. There are options, so educate yourself about them and get the help you need.