What is sleep apnea?
As specialists at Morfeo, we want to talk to you about a serious condition, sleep apnea, what its symptoms and causes are. Keep reading!
Table of Contents
What is sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea is a potentially serious medical condition that causes you to stop breathing or have restricted breathing (hypopnea) several times during sleep.
When a person suffers from apnea, they may experience difficulty breathing several times each time they sleep. These breathing pauses usually last between 10–30 seconds, but can even last up to a minute.
If left untreated, sleep apnea can deprive the brain and body of oxygen, which can lead to serious health problems and complications. The most immediate consequence is the inability to get restful sleep, which in turn worsens quality of life.
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What are its symptoms?
Although loud snoring is often one of the most characteristic symptoms of apnea, not everyone who suffers from this condition snores. Likewise, not everyone who snores has apnea. The symptoms we should be aware of that characterize sleep apnea are:
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Loud snoring.
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Restless sleep.
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Waking up gasping for air.
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Waking up frequently to urinate.
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Dry mouth.
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Morning headaches.
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Excessive daytime sleepiness.
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Difficulty concentrating.
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Brain fog and other mood disorders: irritability or depression.
You may have apnea without being fully aware of the symptoms or signs.
For couples, the bed partner is usually the one who notices the symptoms, especially loud snoring, gasping, or if their partner stops breathing.
In these situations, it is advisable to encourage your partner to consult a sleep medicine specialist.
Types of apnea
There are three different types of apnea, which require treatment by a sleep doctor. These types of apnea are:
Obstructive sleep apnea
It is the most common, also known as OSA. It occurs when the muscles at the back of the throat, which are normally relaxed during sleep, collapse. This causes an obstruction in the airflow, which can cause the person to stop breathing completely for a period of time.
Central sleep apnea
This type, also known as CSA, occurs because the brain does not send the proper signals indicating that you need to breathe. The main difference from obstructive apnea is that central sleep apnea is not mechanical in nature. It is uncommon and tends to affect older men more than women or young people.
Complex sleep apnea
Sometimes it is called mixed sleep apnea, as it is a combination of obstructive and central sleep apnea. People who suffer from this type of apnea usually have mechanical problems that obstruct the airways and brain failures that prevent them from breathing.
It is also known as treatment-emergent central sleep apnea, because it can begin during treatment for obstructive sleep apnea with a positive airway pressure (PAP) device or continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP).
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Causes of apnea
Identifying apnea is important for a good quality of life. People who suffer from untreated apnea problems are at higher risk of cardiovascular problems. But, it is also a problem that affects the people around them.
There are common risk factors in people who suffer from apnea; knowing what they are can help you decide when to consult a sleep doctor. These factors are:
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The age, although it can occur at any age, the risk increases as you get older.
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The gender also plays a role, as it is usually more common in men, although the risk increases with age in women.
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Diabetic people, apnea is common in people with type 2 diabetes and can make glucose control difficult.
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Obesity, this is already a problem in itself, but having a larger neck circumference also changes the landscape of people's airways.
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Smoking, the inflammation of the upper airways caused by smoking can affect how the brain controls the muscles involved in breathing during sleep.
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Consumption of alcohol: alcohol can relax the muscles around the mouth and throat, causing the airways to close.
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Sleeping on your back, in this sleeping position, it is easier for the tissues around the airways to collapse and block the airflow.
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Anatomy, certain structural abnormalities, such as having a large tongue, enlarged tonsils, or a soft palate, can contribute to the development of apnea.
Detecting apnea early is essential to start treatment that improves your health and quality of life. Therefore, it is important to contact a doctor in time and have a diagnosis done at a sleep center to start treatment as soon as possible.
We must take care of our routines and sleep hygiene to enjoy good health, well-being, and quality of life. A mattress does not treat apnea, but, along with the treatment prescribed by the specialist, a good mattress helps you rest more comfortably; that is something we know a bit about at Morfeo. If you want to learn about the advantages and features of our mattress, visit our website.
