Sleep Apnea FAQs

Sleep apnea is a condition that afflicts many people, although most of them do not realize it. Sleep apnea can cause heart damage, cardiac failure and stroke. But it also a very treatable condition and it is essential that testing and treatment occur as early as possible before any lasting damage has occurred.

What is sleep apnea?

It is a sleep disorder that causes breathing to stop during sleep. Each pause in breath can last 10-20 seconds. It is common for people with sleep apnea to experience pauses in their breathing more than 30 times in an hour. The clinical definition is 5 or more apnea events per hour of sleep.

What causes sleep apnea?

The most common form is called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) which, as the name implies, is a result of an obstruction of the airway. People with decreased muscle tone, increased soft tissue around the face and neck (e.g., due to obesity), and structural features that give rise to a narrowed airway are at high risk for obstructive sleep apnea.

The next most common form of sleep apnea is called central apnea. It is caused when the region in the brain that controls breathing does not send proper breathing signals.

Who is at risk for OSA?

Sleep apnea is a condition that can afflict anyone. It is more likely to occur in men, and older people are more likely to have sleep apnea than younger. But women and children may also have the disorder. Studies have shown that one out of 25 middle-aged men and one out of 50 middle-aged women have apnea. Sleep apnea may occur in people with upper respiratory infections but these bouts tend to be mild and disappear when the infection clears up.

What are the symptoms of sleep apnea?

The almost universal symptom of sleep apnea is loud snoring. Other symptoms include insomnia, frequent gasping during sleep, excessive tiredness, difficulty concentrating, high blood pressure, mood swings, morning headaches, memory problems, dryness of throat and frequent urination at night.

How is sleep apnea diagnosed?

In order to obtain a correct diagnosis a sleep test would be performed to determine whether the person has sleep apnea or not. The most common study used to diagnose sleep apnea is the polysomnogram while the patient is asleep. Sensors are placed on the scalp, face, chest, limbs, and finger and records the brain activity, eye movement, breathing, heart beat rate and percentage of oxygen in the blood. the polysomnogram is normally performed in a sleep center or sleep lab.

Additional tests may be required to diagnose central sleep apnea. These include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or other tests to determine the underlying causes.

What is the treatment for OSA?

The most common treatment for obstructive sleep apnea is continuous positive airway pressure or CPAP. For this the patient wears a nasal mask that is connected to the CPAP device. It provides sufficient air pressure to keep the airway tissues from collapsing during sleep. It also has a humidifier that prevents the drying of the nasal passage.

What is the treatment for central sleep apnea?

In some cases, CPAP is the appropriate treatment. But since central sleep apnea is a result of the brain not sending signals to breathe, it may be necessary to utilize other treatments. These include medications that will stimulate the need to breathe and diagnosis and treatment of any underlying conditions.

What can be done to prevent apnea?

The best option for prevention or improvement of sleep apnea symptoms are weight and alcohol management. As noted, one of the main causes of OSA is excess tissue around the face and neck as a result of obesity. Maintaining a healthy weight will reduce the potential for OSA.

Other actions that will improve or reduce the chances of developing apnea include quitting smoking, and avoiding medications like sleeping pills, or tranquilizers that affect breathing.

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