What Is Sleep Apnea and Its Treatment? Understand the Basics
Sleep apnea is a sleeping disorder that causes abnormal pauses in breathing or times when breathing is abnormally low while sleeping. "Apnea" is a word that comes from the Greek word "apnoia," which means "without breath." Each pause between breaths is called a "apnea." When a person is breathing normally, the time between breaths is constant and regular. Sleep apnea disorder happens when the normal pattern of breathing changes for a number of reasons and the time between pauses in breathing starts to get messed up. A "hypopnea" is an irregular pause in breathing. So, a "pause" or "interval" in normal breathing is called a "apnea," while a "pause" in abnormal breathing is called a "hypopnea."
Sleep apnea has these signs:
People with the disorder often don't realize they have it. There are certain signs that can tell if a person has the disorder or not. The most important signs are:
Insomnia
Restless sleeping patterns
Night sweats Snoring or gasping while sleeping
Feeling like you want to sleep all day long Snoring a lot and loudly
Having trouble breathing while sleeping
Other signs of a possible disorder include:
Fatigue
Headaches in the morning
Memory loss Hard time learning new things
Irritability
Depressions make it hard to focus for long periods of time.
Mood swings and/or changes in who you are
Wake up with a dry throat
Having to go to the bathroom a lot at night
Sleep apnea has many causes.
Most of the time, the disorder is caused by a buildup of fat or a loss of muscle tone, especially in older people. In this disorder, the muscles of the windpipe, the soft palate muscles at the base of the tongue, and the uvula (the triangular-shaped small piece of fleshy tissue hanging from the center in the back of the throat) relax a lot and fall down when the person breathes. Simply put, the windpipe tightens or the layers of the windpipe stick together, making it harder for air to get into the lungs. The disorder can also happen when the nerve cells that control breathing during sleep don't work right. A sleep test called a polysomnogram is often used to find sleep disorders and problems related to them. It can be used to diagnose this sleep disorder.
Sleep apnea has many effects.
Even though the sleep disorder might seem common and not too serious, it can cause some serious health problems. If the disorder isn't treated, it can lead to:
Depression
Problems with sexuality
Hypertension
Blood pressure that's too
Heart beats are not regular.
Coronary artery disease
Heart Failure That Lasts
Attention Deficit Disorder getting worse Disorder of Hyperactivity (ADHD)
Different kinds of sleep apnea
Sleep apnea comes in three forms:
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)
Central sleep apnea (CSA)
Mixture of sleep apnea (MSA)
Even though the causes and treatments for all three types of sleeping disorders are different, they all have one thing in common: some parts of the respiratory system narrow and reduce the amount of oxygen that gets to the lungs.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)
This is a very common form of the disorder that is found in most people who have trouble sleeping. Obstructive sleep apnea is a disease that affects the body. People usually know they have this kind of disorder if they:
More pounds (overweight)
Small jaw line
A small hole in the trachea that lets air in (windpipe)
Large tongue Tonsils
The main cause of OSA is the same as the cause of sleep apnea, which was explained above. The person's condition can get worse if they drink alcohol or take sleeping pills or tranquilizers.
Central sleep apnea (CSA)
This is a less common form of the sleeping disorder in which the tracheal muscles don't sag too much and the airway stays big enough to let enough air through. But in this disorder, the diaphragm and chest muscles temporarily don't work as well as they should, which lowers the amount of oxygen in the blood. The body's metabolism slows down because there is less oxygen, and the brain also gets less oxygen, so the person loses their memories, learns slowly, has slow reflexes, and can't focus for long.
Mixture of sleep apnea (MSA)
Some people very rarely have both obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea at the same time. In these cases, both sleep disorders show up at different times, and the person may feel the effects of one or both at the same time. The pathological or psychological effects of this disorder can't be known ahead of time or for sure because they depend on a lot of different things.
Sleep apnea treatment
Treatment for a sleep disorder depends on how bad it is. Treatment usually comes in the form of therapies or surgeries, depending on how much the disorder is affecting the person. This is what the treatment is:
Therapies
Positive airway pressure all the time (CPAP)
Most of the time, this therapy is used for people who have a moderate to severe sleep disorder. A machine delivers oxygen through a mask placed over the nose while the person is sleeping. The air pressure stays higher than the pressure of the air around it, and it is just strong enough to keep the airways open.
Adjustable airway pressure devices
In this therapy, a special type of air pressure device changes the air pressure and oxygen levels automatically while the patient is sleeping. The device works in a way that is similar to CPAP therapy, but it is a more advanced model and can also be used for bi-level positive airway pressure (BPAP). The device gives more pressure when you breathe in and less pressure when you breathe out.
Adaptive servo-ventilation (ASV)
This airflow device learns the normal breathing pattern and stores the information in a computer that is built into the device. While the person is sleeping, the machine changes the air pressure to normalize the breathing pattern and keep breathing from stopping. Some people who have central sleep apnea do better with ASV than with CPAP.
Oral appliances
In this therapy, the patient wears a special mouthpiece that keeps the throat "open." It's easier to use oral tools. Some devices are made to keep the throat open by moving the jaw forward. This can sometimes stop snoring and stop mild obstructive sleep apnea from happening.
Surgery
The main goal of surgery for sleep apnea is to get rid of any extra tissue in the nose or throat that might be blocking the airway. The options for surgery are:
Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) (UPPP)
During this surgery, the back of your mouth and the top of your throat are cleaned of extra tissue. The tonsils and adenoids are sometimes taken out as well. This type of surgery can work to stop snoring, but it has been shown to be less effective at treating sleep apnea because the tissues further down the trachea (windpipe) may still block the airway. Most UPPP procedures are done in a hospital, and they need to be done under general anesthesia.
Maxillomandibularadvancement
During this process, the jaw is moved forward from the other bones in the face. This makes the space behind the tongue and soft palate bigger, which makes it easier for air to get through. This procedure may need the help of an oral surgeon and/or an orthodontist. It may also be done in conjunction with other surgeries to improve the chances of success.
Tracheostomy
This is a very important surgery that is only suggested when other treatments have failed and the person has severe or life-threatening sleep apnea. In this procedure, a hole is cut in the neck, and a metal or plastic tube is put into the trachea, which is the tube we breathe through. During the day, the opening is closed, but at night, it is opened to let air into the lungs. The tube helps air get around the blocked area.
