What is Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a condition in which breathing pauses or becomes shallow during sleep. Episodes of sleep apnea usually last 10 seconds or longer, and they may occur as many as 20 times an hour.

Sleep apnea disrupts your sleep and keeps your body from getting the rest that it needs. This condition can increase your risk of certain health problems, including:

• Heart attack.
• Stroke.
• Obesity.
• Diabetes.
• Heart failure.
• Irregular heartbeat.

There are three kinds of sleep apnea:

• Obstructive sleep apnea. This kind is caused by a blocked or collapsed airway.
• Central sleep apnea. This kind happens when the part of the brain that controls breathing does not send the correct signals to the muscles that control breathing.
• Mixed sleep apnea. This is a combination of obstructive and central sleep apnea.

What are the causes?

The most common cause of this condition is a collapsed or blocked airway. An airway can collapse or become blocked if:

• Your throat muscles are abnormally relaxed.
• Your tongue and tonsils are larger than normal.
• You are overweight.
• Your airway is smaller than normal.

What increases the risk?

This condition is more likely to develop in people who:

• Are overweight.
• Smoke.
• Have a smaller than normal airway.
• Are elderly.
• Are male.
• Drink alcohol.
• Take sedatives or tranquilizers.
• Have a family history of sleep apnea.

What are the signs or symptoms?

Symptoms of this condition include:

• Trouble staying asleep.
• Daytime sleepiness and tiredness.
• Irritability.
• Loud snoring.
• Morning headaches.
• Trouble concentrating.
• Forgetfulness.
• Decreased interest in sex.
• Unexplained sleepiness.
• Mood swings.
• Personality changes.
• Feelings of depression.
• Waking up often during the night to urinate.
• Dry mouth.
• Sore throat.

How is this diagnosed?

This condition may be diagnosed with:

• A medical history.
• A physical exam.
• A series of tests that are done while you are sleeping (sleep study). These tests are usually done in a sleep lab, but they may also be done at home.

How is this treated?

Treatment for this condition aims to restore normal breathing and to ease symptoms during sleep. It may involve managing health issues that can affect breathing, such as high blood pressure or obesity. Treatment may include:

• Sleeping on your side.
• Using a decongestant if you have nasal congestion.
• Avoiding the use of depressants, including alcohol, sedatives, and narcotics.
• Losing weight if you are overweight.
• Making changes to your diet.
• Quitting smoking.
• Using a device to open your airway while you sleep, such as:
  • An oral appliance. This is a custom-made mouthpiece that shifts your lower jaw forward.
  • A continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device. This device delivers oxygen to your airway through a mask.
  • A nasal expiratory positive airway pressure (EPAP) device. This device has valves that you put into each nostril.
  • A bi-level positive airway pressure (BPAP) device. This device delivers oxygen to your airway through a mask.
• Surgery if other treatments do not work. During surgery, excess tissue is removed to create a wider airway.

It is important to get treatment for sleep apnea. Without treatment, this condition can lead to:

• High blood pressure.
• Coronary artery disease.
• (Men) An inability to achieve or maintain an erection (impotence).
• Reduced thinking abilities.

Follow these instructions at home:

• Make any lifestyle changes that your health care provider recommends.
• Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet.
• Take over-the-counter and prescription medicines only as told by your health care provider.
• Avoid using depressants, including alcohol, sedatives, and narcotics.
• Take steps to lose weight if you are overweight.
• If you were given a device to open your airway while you sleep, use it only as told by your health care provider.
• Do not use any tobacco products, such as cigarettes, chewing tobacco, and e-cigarettes. If you need help quitting, ask your health care provider.
• Keep all follow-up visits as told by your health care provider. This is important.

Contact a health care provider if:

• The device that you received to open your airway during sleep is uncomfortable or does not seem to be working.
• Your symptoms do not improve.
• Your symptoms get worse.

Get help right away if:

• You develop chest pain.
• You develop shortness of breath.
• You develop discomfort in your back, arms, or stomach.
• You have trouble speaking.
• You have weakness on one side of your body.
• You have drooping in your face.

These symptoms may represent a serious problem that is an emergency. Do not wait to see if the symptoms will go away. Get medical help right away. Call your local emergency services (911 in the U.S.). Do not drive yourself to the hospital.