Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder. Sufferers have pauses in the natural rhythm of their breathing while they sleep. These pauses are at least 10 seconds long and occur with varying frequency, depending on the severity of the condition.
If greater than 5 episodes of breath holding (apnea) occur per hour during sleep then the suffer may notice clinically significant effects. Until this level is reached, the condition can go completely unnoticed and therefore, undiagnosed. Sleep specialists can diagnose the condition by having a patient sleep in a sleeping center whilst an EEG is recorded. Analysis of the data obtained in this way can confirm or rule out a diagnosis of sleep apnea.
Understanding sleep apnea is important if you are worried that you, or a loved one, may be suffering from this condition. The effects of the sleep apnea can be severe over time and lead to brain damage and heart conditions. So early diagnosis is very important.
There are three broad categories of causes of sleep apnea. These are obstructive apnea, central apnea and complex apnea.
Central apnea originates at the level of the brain. A brain disturbance stops the sufferer from even attempting to take a breath; in other words they literally hold their breath.
Obstructive apnea originates further down the chain. Obesity, low muscle tone and other anatomical issues can result in the airway narrowing during inspiration, resulting in functional obstruction of the airway during sleep. If you have a cold or other respiratory infection you may well also have temporary obstructive sleep apnea although this will resolve along with the infection. A sore throat and excessively loud snoring can result from this type of apnea along with the chronic fatigue that is common to all types of apnea.
Finally, complex apnea is just a mixture of the above two types of apnea occurring at the same time.
Once diagnosed, it is important to get treatment, especially in patients with concurrent disease such as chronic heart failure. Treatment may involve splints and other physical devices worn during sleep which aim to maintain an open airway at all times. This is generally of greatest benefit in cases of obstructive apnea. If this is not sufficient, patients may be considered for surgical treatment. And there are several new treatments being tested and in the pipeline as well.
If you think you, or someone you love may be suffering from sleep apnea, contact your physician and seek their professional advice.
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