What Does Hypopneas Mean?

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What Does Hypopneas Mean?

Hypopneas is actually a sleeping condition that not many may know of. It may sound simple once explained, but it actually has a lot of risks to know about. Learn about hypopneas and what it can do in this article.

So what does hypopneas mean? Hypopnea literally translates to “low breathing”, derived from Greek roots “Hypo” meaning “Low” and “Pnoia” meaning “Breathing”.

Coming from the meaning of the name itself, hypopnea is when someone is experiencing overly shallow breathing or an abnormally low respiratory rate.

Some people say that Hypopnea is less threatening than “apnea” or actual pauses in breathing.

Despite this, hypopnea still possesses the same dangers of other sleeping disorders. In fact, it almost have the same risk factors for apnea as both affects breathing itself.

Sleeping conditions like sleep apnea are commonly diagnosed by basing it on the number of events relevant to hypopnea and apnea.

The sleep apnea’s severity level will depend on the numbers of hypopnea and apnea.

This can be referred to as the “AHI” or “Apnea-Hypopnea Index”. AHI is an index used to indicate the severity of sleep apnea and it is represented by the number of apnea and hypopnea events per hour of sleep.

The lower events you experience, the lower your AHI index will be.

Hypopnea is defined by a decreased amount of air movement going to the lungs and can cause blood oxygen levels to drop significantly.

It is usually due to a partial obstruction in the upper airway.

If a person is experiencing hypopnea during sleep, it can be classified as a sleep order. It can be moderate to severe hypopnea.

Sleep is disturbed due to hypopnea, causing patients to get restless nights. Even when they get a full night’s sleep, they will still wake up feeling tired because their body couldn’t rest properly at night.

The low blood oxygen levels will also create more difficulty during sleep.

When experiencing hypopnea during the day, it is often limited to those with severely compromised respiratory muscles which occurs in certain neuromuscular diseases.

It can also occur in compromised central respiratory drive which happens in conditions such as acquired or congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (ACHS or CCHS).

Daytime hypopnea can still cause a drop in blood oxygen levels, so it can be health threatening both ways.

What are the signs of hypopnea?

The most common symptom of hypopnea is excessive daytime sleepiness and low blood oxygen levels, but the other symptoms can be similar to those who have obstructive sleep apnea.

Here’s a list of possible symptoms when you have hypopnea.

  1. When you snore heavily
    • Maybe, it can be a sign of fatigue but snoring loudly and constantly can be a sign of hypopnea.
  2. Sudden weight gain or loss
    • Losing control of your weight can be a sign of sleep hypopnea. A disrupted sleep can mess with the body’s hormones, causing uncontrollable weight gain.
  3. Gasping for air during sleep
    • The feeling of drowning without knowing it and suddenly you’re out of air. This is when your breathing is too low, you have to actually gasp for air.
  4. If you have insomnia
    • Having trouble going to sleep because you have breathing problems that you may not notice
  5. If you experience hypersomnia
    • Having trouble staying awake in the morning because you were unable to sleep well due to your hypopnea.
  6. Waking up with a headache
    • Hypopnea 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.
  7. Waking up with a dry mouth
    • With hypopnea, the person tends to snore and keep their mouth open when gasping for air which leads to a dried up mouth once we awaken.
  8. Decreased ability to focus
    • Hypopnea can give lack of sleep which will also result in difficulty to focus on anything
  9. Feeling uncomfortable
    • Your lack of energy due to hypopnea can make you feel uncomfortable and irritable without your knowledge
  10. Inhaling deeply during sleep
    • Since your breathing is so low because of hypopnea, you might end up having to unconsciously breathe in deeply during sleep.

You must also keep in mind that a formal medical check up or a sleep study can be done to properly determine if you have any sleeping condition that requires the help of CPAP machines.

What causes hypopnea?

  • Weakened respiratory muscles
    • A weak respiratory muscles will prevent proper breathing, resulting in hypopnea
  • Hypoventilation syndromes
    • This is when you experience daytime hypopnea. It’s a syndrome that causes a person to have shallow breathing.
  • Acute tonsillitis or adenoiditis
    • Can interfere with the body’s ability to breathe, potentially causing hypopnea.
  • Being overweight
    • Body fat can get in the way of the body’s ability to stretch its airways open making it harder to breathe which will cause hypopnea.
  • Airway obstruction
    • Anything that can obstruct the airways will make breathing difficult and cause the tissues to vibrate and cause hypopnea.
  • Sleeping position
    • Sleeping on your back may cause the tongue to fall back and the muscles to relax which can block the airways.
  • Drinking liquor
    • Drinking excessive liquor especially before going to sleep will relax the muscles and create difficulty in breathing.
  • Taking sedation
    • Certain medications such as sleeping pills can make the muscles inside the body to relax too much to the point that it can’t function well enough to help the body breathe.
  • Sleeping exhausted
    • Sometimes, going to bed overworked or completely exhausted can cause hypopnea since the body is too tired to help your breathing stay normal.
  • Anatomical build
    • Your physical attributes can obstruct your airways and some of this can be hereditary.
  • Age
    • As we age, our throat will become narrower which is beyond our control. However, proper sleep routine and a healthy, balanced diet can prevent snoring or hypopnea.
  • 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 or snoring. Allergies that result with difficulty in breathing are the likes.
  • Smoking cigarettes
    • Excessive smoking can cause your throat muscles to swell, making the airways narrower and lead to obstruction, causing hypopnea.
  • Sleeping with a full stomach
    • When you go to bed with a full stomach, there’s a risk of relaxing your muscles or your body is working on processing the food inside your body which can lead to difficult breathing.
  • Going to bed exhausted
    • Try to take a quick break before going to bed. If you are too tired and went to sleep, your muscles won’t work as it should and may not keep you breathing right during sleep.
  • Lack of physical activity
    • The lack of physical activity can weaken your muscles, making it unable to sustain your body’s need to keep breathing during sleep.

How to treat hypopnea?

Treatment for hypopnea or obstructive hypopnea is actually very similar to the sleeping condition, obstructive sleep apnea.

Here’s a list of treatments which may involve undergoing surgeries, using medical equipment and doing basic lifestyle changes.

  1. Rapid Maxillary Expansion
    • For children with obstructive sleep apnea or hypopnea. This process places an expandable brace on the roof of the mouth that increases the width of the upper jaw (maxilla).
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Nasal Strips
    • Nasal strips are one of the earliest tools used to treat conditions like hypopnea, sleep apnea and its symptoms such as snoring.
  5. Oral Appliance
    • Oral pieces can help with hypopnea, sleep apnea and snoring, they are custom made to make sure it prevents the obstruction in the airways and counter hypopnea and sleep apnea.
  6. CPAP Treatment
    • The CPAP or “Continuous Positive Airway Pressure” is a commonly used treatment and proven to be effective for hypopnea and sleep apnea patients as well as helping snoring.
  7. Avoid sedatives before going to sleep
    • Certain sedatives can cause hypopnea. Consult a medical expert to determine what type of sedative may be the cause.
  8. Treat chronic allergies
    • Some allergies can trigger obstruction in your body’s airways and may cause you to have hypopnea and sleep apnea.
  9. 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 hypopnea.
  10. 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.
  11. 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 hypopnea. Sleeping in a chair or a recliner chair is also an option.
  12. 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 hypopnea.

      You can read about: “How to prevent sleeping on my back” to learn how you can keep sleeping on your sides.
  13. 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.
  14. 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 and have hypopnea.

      Those who are also exposed to secondhand smoke can be prone to hypopnea, so avoid getting near smoke as much as possible.
  15. Drink enough water.
    • When we are dehydrated, the throat becomes dry which makes the vibrating tissues sound louder and produces snoring or sleep apnea.
  16. 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.
  17. Sleep on time.
    • Not getting the right amount of sleep and not sleeping early can cause the body to become dysfunctional and have hypopnea.
  18. 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 hypopnea.

Related Questions

What is the main difference between an apnea and a hypopnea?

The main difference between an apnea and a hypopnea is that apnea occurs when we actually stop breathing or the heart actually stops beating for a moment.

Hypopnea is only when the breathing is too low, it can be mistaken for apnea but we still continue to breathe, only at a shallow pace.

What is a good AHI index?

A good AHI index or Apnea-Hypopnea Index should be at “<5” which is a normal rate. For mild, it’s 5<15 and for moderate sleep apnea, 15<30. For severe sleep apnea, it’s beyond 15<30.

AHI is an index used to indicate the severity of sleep apnea and it is represented by the number of apnea and hypopnea events per hour of sleep.

The lower events you experience, the lower your AHI index will be.