Sleep Apnea... It's Not Just Bothersome, It Can Be Dangerous

Are you a snorer? Do you (or someone you love) have trouble getting a good restful nights sleep? You may be suffering from sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is often thought of as a condition only for those who are overweight. It actually affects men and women of all ages and body types. Suffers of sleep apnea are troubled by restless sleep caused by irregular breathing. Sufferers wake up often during the night (as often as twenty to thirty times every hour). These constant disturbances prevent the body from cycling through the necessary stages of sleep that provide them with the rest they need.
This results in chronic sleep deprivation! Sleep deprivation can cause depression, impair judgment, hand-eye coordination, and concentration, high blood pressure and cardiovascular problems. Sleep deprivation is also a leading cause of automobile accidents because a sleep deprived driver may be just as impaired as they would be if they were intoxicated!

Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the muscles in the back of the throat relax. In regular breathing, as you inhale the throat passage narrows. During inhalation, relaxed muscles in the throat can cause the airway to close entirely, preventing air intake. This in turn lowers oxygen levels in the blood, which triggers a response in the brain to awaken the body to restore breathing. These awakenings are often so brief as not to be noticed by the sufferer who may awaken believing they slept peacefully, despite feeling tired in the morning.

Central sleep apnea is far less common than the obstructive variety. Central sleep apnea occurs when the brain does not send the proper signals that control breathing. This often leads to awakening at night with either a shortness of breath or a headache. People with central sleep apnea are far more likely to recall waking up in the middle of the night.

Are You At Risk For Sleep Apnea?
There are certain factors which can increase your risk of sleep apnea.
For obstructive sleep apnea these include:
Being overweight
A neck over seventeen inches in circumference.
Being male
Being over age 65
Having a family history of sleep apnea
Smoking
Use of alcohol, sedatives and tranquilizers

Central sleep apnea risk factors are:
Being male
Heart disorders (such as atrial fibrillation and congestive heart failure)
A history of stroke or brain tumor
Neuromuscular disorders (like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, spinal cord injuries and muscular dystrophy can impair the central nervous system and breathing function).

Diagnosis
Doctors use a several methods to diagnose sleep disorders based on your signs and symptoms. These include nocturnal polysomnography, which tests your heart rate, leg movement, lung and brain activity, and blood oxygen levels while you are asleep, and oximetry, which measures oxygen levels in the blood while you sleep.

Should your doctor suspect that you have sleep apnea, he or she will likely recommend you visit a nose and throat doctor to rule out blockages, and a cardiologist or neurologist to look for signs of central sleep apnea.

Treatment
Treatments for obstructive sleep apnea vary. Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) is the most common, in which air is delivered via a mask worn over the nose and mouth during sleep. If a CPAP machine proves uncomfortable to sleeping, some oral devices can be used to help keep the throat open during sleep. There are several surgical procedures aimed at removing excess tissue from the upper airway.

In addition to medical treatment, if you suffer from sleep apnea you can take measures to manage the condition by losing excess weight, avoiding alcohol and nicotine, testing out different sleep positions to see which ones allow you to breathe normally, and keeping your nasal passage open at night using saline solutions (do not use decongestants or antihistamines without first consulting your doctor as these are generally for short-term use only).