Sleep apnea is a serious sleeping condition that not many people may know of, some people even ignore it but it shouldn’t be taken lightly. Learn about sleep apnea in this article and what it can do.
So, is sleep apnea a disease? Yes, sleep apnea is a disease that “attacks” during sleep, it occurs when the person is experiencing difficulty in breathing and causes the heart to stop beating for seconds to minutes.
The pauses in breathing with sleep apnea patients can occur up to 400 times each night that lasts for usually up to 30 seconds but sometimes, it can reach a minute or longer.
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.
There are three different types of sleep apnea.
Usually, more people are affected by “obstructive sleep apnea” (OSA) than “central sleep apnea” and both are diseases that will continue to persist until the cause is eliminated.
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.
The other one is “complex sleep apnea” which is simply a combination of both types which can be very dangerous.
Anyone can have sleep apnea, even children but they usually “outgrow” the disease.
Sleep apnea is recognized as an “accompanying disease” which means it comes with another disease or invites a different disease to the patient’s body which is why it must be treated immediately.
So what exactly causes the sleep apnea disease? How can you stop it? Since it can be dangerous, you must learn more about it. As you read on, you will find out the answers that you need for sleep apnea!
What causes sleep apnea disease?
There are several factors that can be the cause of your sleep apnea disease. Some of these factors are our natural anatomy which can only be fixed through surgeries and some cannot be fixed at all.
Sometimes, it’s also about hereditary conditions. The thing is, it’s important to understand what is the reason behind our health complications.
- Obesity
- The excess fat inside the body can make the airways thinner, causing an obstruction and making breathing difficult.
It prevents the throat muscles from stretching to keep the airways open.
- The excess fat inside the body can make the airways thinner, causing an obstruction and making breathing difficult.
- Hypothyroidism
- The condition wherein your body does not produce enough thyroid hormones, which is needed to control how to use energy received from food through metabolism. Bad metabolism can affect heartbeat and breathing.
- Acromegaly
- Opposite of hypothyroidism, acromegaly produces too much growth hormones which can affect your overall health including breathing.
- Allergies
- There are certain allergies that can worsen sleep apnea. Allergies that result with difficulty in breathing are the likes.
- Smoking cigarettes
- Excessive smoking can cause sleep apnea or worsen it. Inhaling smoke can cause the muscles to swell, tightening the airways
- Drinking liquor
- Too much liquor and drinking before going to sleep can cause sleep apnea, the liquor relaxes the muscle and leads to difficult breathing.
- Drug usage
- Sedation or other types of drugs such as sleeping pills when used can result in sleep apnea as it relaxes the muscles during sleep, causing an obstruction in the airways.
- Being male
- Observations reveal that males tend to have sleep apnea more than females
- Being old
- Observations also revealed that older adults are more prone to sleep apnea than younger ones due to more complicated health issues that may trigger sleep apnea
Other natural causes of sleep apnea can be a thick neck, narrow throat and having a round head. Avoid triggering your allergies or get medications for other conditions to cure your sleep apnea.
What are the signs of sleep apnea disease?
Sleep apnea must be stopped immediately. It should not be left untreated, as you can see the risks listed in the earlier sections. But how do you know if you have sleep apnea?
You might be confusing normal symptoms such as snoring during sleep for sleep apnea.
Actually, there is a way to help you find out the best way how you can resolve your sleep apnea disease.
One of the most common ways to identify sleep apnea is by conducting a “sleep study” wherein the patient will have to stay in a center where doctors and nurses would be observing their sleeping habits.
Not only the sleeping behavior but other factors that could be a sign of sleep apnea as well. Here’s a list of sleep apnea signs to watch out for if you are not ready to go for a sleep study yet.
- When you snore heavily
- Maybe, it can be a sign of fatigue but snoring loudly and usually can be a sign of sleep apnea.
- Sudden weight gain or loss
- Losing control of your weight can be a sign of sleep apnea.
- Gasping for air during sleep
- The feeling of drowning without knowing it and suddenly you’re out of air.
- If you have insomnia
- Having trouble going to sleep because you have breathing problems that you may not notice
- If you experience hypersomnia
- Having trouble staying awake in the morning because you were unable to sleep well due to your sleep apnea
- Waking up with a headache
- Sleep apnea can disturb your body’s “charging” state. Since you can’t sleep well, your body will use energy for means that can help you breathe which may lead to headaches.
- Waking up with a dry mouth
- With sleep apnea, the person tends to snore and keep their mouth open when gasping for air which leads to a dried up mouth once we awaken.
- Decreased ability to focus
- Sleep apnea can give lack of sleep which will also result in difficulty to focus on anything
- Feeling uncomfortable
- Your lack of energy due to sleep apnea can make you feel uncomfortable and irritable without your knowledge
- Suddenly stop breathing during sleep
- Your housemates should notice this and tell you about it. Sleep apnea can disrupt breathing that may last for up to 10 seconds which is already risky.
How to treat sleep apnea disease?
And now, let me tell you about the ways that can help treat sleep apnea.
It may involve surgical operation, using medical equipment or basic lifestyle changes. Treatment for sleep apnea will be different depending on the cause, but here’s a list that can give you an idea.
- 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.
When sleep apnea disease is ignored
But what happens if you ignore this disease? How dangerous can it be? Here’s what the sleep apnea disease can do to your health.
- 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
Related Questions
How many people die from sleep apnea?
Approximately 40,000 people die from sleep apnea or conditions complicated by sleep apnea while 22 million people continue to suffer from the sleeping condition.
Can sleep apnea cause a stroke?
Yes, sleep apnea can lead to stroke if left untreated. It can also cause other irreversible health damage which is why sleep apnea must not be ignored even if it doesn’t seem dangerous.
According to studies, there is now a lot of evidence that proves sleep apnea has deep ties with cardiovascular risk factors which increases the possibility of a stroke.
