Sleep apnea is a serious condition that can lead to dangerous health risks and many people should learn more about it. In this article, I will tell you about sleep apnea, what it can do and what you can do against it!
So, is sleep apnea a chronic illness? Yes, sleep apnea is usually a chronic illness that persists every night a patient falls asleep. It normally does not go away by itself and needs to be treated depending on the cause.
Sleep apnea occurs when the patient experiences difficulty in breathing.
It is when the heart actually stops beating for a few seconds up to a minute or longer which can be very dangerous.
Interrupted breathing leads to other complicated health issues since the body is unable to function normally.
The drop of oxygen levels circulating inside the body can cause the brain to be in “emergency mode” which is why patients will sometimes end up waking all of a sudden, gasping for air.
This happens when the brain sends a signal to wake up in order to get the air we need to stay alive.
Usually, more people are affected by obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) than central sleep apnea and both can be considered a chronic illness as it will continue to persist.
Obstructive sleep apnea happens when there is an obstruction in the airways while central sleep apnea happens when the brain fails to command the body to breathe or “forgets to breathe” during sleep.
Each type of sleep apnea can have different causes and will continue to persist so long as the cause is not fully eliminated, making it count as a chronic illness.
The only time sleep apnea isn’t a “chronic illness” is if it occurs for a night after drinking excessive liquor for example and then going to bed right after.
Too much liquor inside the body will end up relaxing the muscles while sleeping, causing difficulty in breathing and may trigger “sleep apnea” symptoms but will not last for the following nights.
This is why it is stated that sleep apnea is “usually” a chronic illness because there are times when it can be temporary if the cause is also temporary.
How to eliminate chronic sleep apnea
Since it is mentioned that sleep apnea is a chronic illness as long as the cause of it remains, you should find out how you can prevent it from becoming a chronic illness for better nights of sleep.
Once again, sleep apnea can be caused by different factors and therefore may have different methods of treatment.
The treatment methods listed in this section may involve surgical operations, using medical equipment or basic lifestyle changes that will help you get rid of chronic sleep apnea.
- Rapid Maxillary Expansion
- For children with obstructive sleep apnea. This process places an expandable brace on the roof of the mouth that increases the width of the upper jaw (maxilla).
- Over time, parents can adjust the brace using a special key to increase the amount of pressure for the teeth.
- Jaw Advancement Surgery
- For teenagers and adults. This process will surgically break the jaw bones, moved forward and then fixed properly with screws and plates and will change the person’s facial structure or profile.
- It might take months to recover.
- Surgical Airway Advancement
- Similar to the 2nd example. Bones of the upper and lower jaw will be repositioned in a way that will relieve airway obstruction.
- Nasal Strips
- Nasal strips are one of the earliest tools used to treat conditions like sleep apnea and its symptoms such as snoring.
Nowadays, there are newly developed nasal strips that you can try.
- Nasal strips are one of the earliest tools used to treat conditions like sleep apnea and its symptoms such as snoring.
- Oral Appliance
- Oral pieces can help with sleep apnea and snoring, they are custom made to make sure it prevents the obstruction in the airways and counter sleep apnea and snoring.
- CPAP Treatment
- The CPAP or “Continuous Positive Airway Pressure” is a commonly used treatment and proven to be effective for sleep apnea patients and helping snoring.
- Avoid sedatives before going to sleep
- Certain sedatives can cause sleep apnea. Consult a medical expert to determine what type of sedative may be the cause.
- Treat chronic allergies
- Some allergies can trigger obstruction in your body’s airways and may cause you to have sleep apnea and cause you to snore.
- Try to avoid overworking yourself.
- Sometimes, simply going to sleep while totally exhausted can make our muscles relax too much to the point that it can lead to sleep apnea.
- Avoid drinking liquor before bed.
- Excessive liquor can also relax the muscles that will lead to sleep apnea. Limit alcohol consumption or avoid drinking too much before going to sleep.
- Sleep with your head elevated.
- When
the head is not properly elevated, the tongue can fall back and
block the air passage, causing the tissues to vibrate and snore.
You can also use an anti-snore pillow which will keep your head in proper place that can help stop sleep apnea. Sleeping in a chair or a recliner chair is also an option.
- When
the head is not properly elevated, the tongue can fall back and
block the air passage, causing the tissues to vibrate and snore.
- Try to sleep on your sides.
- Sleeping
flat on our backs can cause the tongue to fall back and block the
airways. It can also make the muscles relax and cause sleep apnea.
You can read about: “How to prevent sleeping on my back” to learn how you can keep sleeping on your sides.
- Sleeping
flat on our backs can cause the tongue to fall back and block the
airways. It can also make the muscles relax and cause sleep apnea.
- Get plenty of exercises.
- Lack of physical activity can cause our body’s functionality to drop. This means that we need the right amount of exercise to keep our body “awake” and functioning even as we sleep.
- Stop or limit smoking.
- If
your body inhales the smoke, it can cause the muscles inside to
swell or become irritated, potentially blocking the airways and
causing you to snore.
Those who are also exposed to secondhand smoke can be prone to sleep apnea, so avoid getting near smoke as much as possible.
- If
your body inhales the smoke, it can cause the muscles inside to
swell or become irritated, potentially blocking the airways and
causing you to snore.
- Drink enough water.
- When we are dehydrated, the throat becomes dry which makes the vibrating tissues sound louder and produces snoring or sleep apnea. Stay hydrated!
- Eat a healthy diet.
- Our
diet plays a huge part in our health! You should also avoid eating
heavy before sleeping, if you go to sleep on a full stomach, your
muscles may not work as it should.
Focus on eating healthy foods!
- Our
diet plays a huge part in our health! You should also avoid eating
heavy before sleeping, if you go to sleep on a full stomach, your
muscles may not work as it should.
- Sleep on time.
- Not getting the right amount of sleep and not sleeping early can cause the body to become dysfunctional and have sleep apnea.
- Lose weight.
- Being overweight or obesity will cause difficulty in breathing. The excess fat will get in the way of the air passages, causing tissues to vibrate and cause sleep apnea.
We highly encourage you to visit your doctor in order to properly diagnose your sleep apnea condition and find out what may be the best treatment for you.
When sleep apnea is a chronic illness
In case you are wondering what might happen if sleep apnea does become a chronic illness when it is left ignored or untreated, it can actually put your life in danger.
When your sleep apnea becomes a chronic illness, there are plenty of unhealthy things it can to your health which will be listed below.
- Sleep apnea causes:
- Death
- Sleep apnea interrupts breathing that can affect the heart and the brain which can lead to sudden death during sleep.
- Difficult breathing
- Sleep apnea can occur when there is an obstruction in the airway or the brain is unable to function well that helps the body breathe, causing difficult breathing.
- Snoring
- If there is an obstruction in the airway, the muscles around the throat may vibrate and cause snoring.
- Worsens other illnesses
- Being unable to breathe well during sleep disrupts your entire body’s functionality and eventually attacking the other diseases a patient may already have.
- Heart problems
- With sleep apnea, you are more prone to heart problems such as heart failure or heart attacks. This is due to the lack of blood oxygen levels.
- Irregular heartbeat
- Due to the low blood oxygen levels or the air is unable to reach your heart, it can lead to an abnormal heartbeat or pauses in breathing during sleep.
- Stroke
- Similar to heart problems
- Depression
- Being unable to breathe well during sleep and get the proper rest can mess up your emotions or eventually lead to depression.
- Weight gain or loss
- Sleep apnea messes up your body’s hormone production. You can end up gaining weight faster due to sleep apnea.
- Diabetes
- Having sleep apnea disables the body’s ability to control the sugar level which can lead to diabetes.
- High Blood Pressure
- Sleep apnea can potentially cause or worsen hypertension in people.
- Increases ADHD
- Being sleep deprived decreases the person’s ability to focus, worsening conditions such as ADHD.
- Headaches
- The lack of air that enters the brain can lead to other brain problems, but usually results in morning headaches.
- Daytime sleepiness
- Difficulty breathing at night can lead to restless sleeps, making you feel the need to stay asleep even during the day because your body couldn’t rest well at night.
- Insomnia
- Difficulty in breathing can lead to insomnia. Instead of waking up randomly at night, you will end up being unable to sleep.
- Seizures
- Sleep apnea patients are more prone to seizures during sleep compared to epilepsy patients without sleep apnea.
- Irritability
- When you are sleep deprived, you will unconsciously lose control of your emotional stability. You can become irritable or easily frustrated with sleep apnea.
- Poor memory
- Sleep apnea causes sleep deprivation which may lower your brain’s performance as it affects the brain activity, causing poor memory in patients.
- Respiratory diseases
- Sleep apnea is a respiratory disease that may cause other diseases or worsen them.
- Driving accidents
- The lack of concentration and daytime sleepiness can lead to driving accidents when you have sleep apnea.
- Death
As you can see, it causes a lot of terrible things.
Some of it even include complicated health conditions that will cause you more money for treatments which is why it is important to treat sleep apnea as soon as possible before it becomes a chronic illness.
Related Questions
What is a bad sleep apnea score?
A bad sleep apnea score starts around 15 to 30 which is already moderate and anything higher than 30 is already severe which is not good at all.
Normal sleep apnea score or AHI (Apnea-Hypopnea Index) should be around 5 to 15.
Does sleep apnea cause anxiety?
Yes, it has been studied that sleep apnea can actually cause anxiety, panic attacks, depression and other emotional or mental complications.
Since it messes with the body’s physical system, it can potentially affect life activities, mood, behavior or even affect the brain itself which may lead to other problems.
Does sleep apnea happen every night?
Yes, sleep apnea usually happens every night for most patients. Breathing usually stops for a few seconds up to minutes during sleep which is very dangerous.
The pauses in breathing can occur up to 400 times each night.
However, those whose sleep apnea is “temporary” or not a chronic illness may avoid experiencing sleep apnea every night. Sometimes, it can also depend on the severity of the illness.
