Where does sleep apnea come from and what to do about it

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Sometimes, to improve your well-being, it is enough to train yourself to sleep on your side or stomach.

What is sleep apnea

Sleep apnea is a temporary stop in breathing that occurs when a person is asleep. Such pauses last from a few seconds to minutes and can be repeated up to 30 times per hour.

In general, apnea is any arrest of respiratory movements that can occur in a variety of circumstances. For example, with bronchial asthma. Or when you decide to stop conscious breathing (say, when freediving). But the failure of breathing in a dream is very common.

Where does sleep apnea come from and what is it like?

The impairment occurs when the airway narrows during sleep, Sleep apnoea / NHS and stops letting in air.

This is usually due to Sleep apnea / Mayo Clinic as the throat muscles relax and the soft palate begins to block the pharynx. This type of sleep apnea is called obstructive sleep apnea. However, sometimes the reason is different: the sleeping brain "forgets" to send the correct signals to the muscles that control breathing. Then talk about central sleep apnea.

The risk of narrowing the airways is more likely if:

• You are overweight.
• You have an anatomically narrow pharynx and larynx.
• Your close relatives have also experienced sleep apnea.
• You are an elderly person.
• You have enlarged tonsils or adenoids. For this reason, sleep apnea can occur in young children Sleep Apnea / MedlinePlus.
• You smoke or abuse alcohol.
• You are used to sleeping on your back.
• You constantly have a stuffy nose and breathe through your mouth.
• You are diagnosed with heart failure, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, or Parkinson's disease. Risk factors also include polycystic ovary syndrome, hormonal disorders, stroke, and chronic lung diseases such as asthma.

There is also evidence that sleep apnea is two to three times more common in men than in women. However, in the latter, the risk of experiencing temporary respiratory arrest increases dramatically after menopause. The Dangers of Uncontrolled Sleep Apnea / Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Why sleep apnea is dangerous

The body does not immediately recognize the problem, so oxygen does not enter the lungs for some time. Then the brain begins to react, reflexes are triggered and the person wakes up in order to open the airways with muscle effort and take a breath. This is usually accompanied by a sharp and loud snoring sound.

Awakening is often so short that a person does not notice it and again falls asleep. However, such episodes are repeated, and as a result, sleep apnea affects health. Here are just a few complications.

Feeling tired all the time throughout the day

Due to regular awakenings, a person cannot sleep and recover. Therefore, during the day, he always wants to take a nap and it seems that he has no strength for anything.

People with sleep apnea are more likely than others to be involved in an accident or an accident at work. Children with this disorder often do poorly in school and have behavioral problems.

Hypertension and other cardiovascular pathologies

When breathing stops in sleep, oxygen levels in the blood drop rapidly. To compensate for this, the brain raises blood pressure and puts more stress on the cardiovascular system as a whole.

Therefore, sleep apnea can lead to the development of hypertension, tachycardia, increases the likelihood of myocardial infarction and strokes.

Increased risk of developing certain diseases

Sleep apnea can reduce the sensitivity of cells to insulin and, as a result, becomes a trigger for the development of type 2 diabetes.

In addition, this respiratory distress provokes non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Apnea is also associated with metabolic syndrome and an increased risk of complications after surgery.

How to recognize sleep apnea

The most common symptom of sleep apnea is snoring sounds during sleep. But there are other signs as well.

Some of them are impossible to notice on your own. They are usually told only by close people who are nearby when you sleep.

What symptoms can you notice?

• Frequent awakening at night for no apparent reason.
• Regular headaches in the morning.
• Dry mouth on waking.
• Feeling sleepy, lack of energy during the day.
• Concentration problems.
• Frequent feeling of tiredness and depression.

Symptoms Other People May Tell You

• From time to time, your breathing stops during sleep.
• You snore loudly.

What to do with sleep apnea

If you have just noticed signs of sleep apnea and are not sure if they require you to see a doctor, try to correct the violation yourself. Sleep apnea / NHS. This can be done with a slight lifestyle change at Sleep apnea / Mayo Clinic.

1. Lose excess weight, if any. In some cases, once body weight has returned to normal, apnea completely disappears. Just do not relax: if you put on the pounds again, the violation may return.
2. Go in for sports. Experts at the respected medical organization Mayo Clinic claim that regular exercise can make apnea less severe, even if you're not losing weight. Therefore, try to exercise for at least 30 minutes daily. As a load, brisk walking or cycling is also suitable.
3. Avoid alcohol and, if possible, medications such as tranquilizers and sleeping pills. Because of them, the muscles in the back of the throat relax too much during sleep and interfere with breathing.
4. Sleep on your side or stomach, not your back. Sleeping on the back causes the tongue and soft palate to move towards the back of the throat and reduce the airway.
5. Stop smoking.

If home methods do not help and you still torment loved ones with snoring, and yourself with daytime fatigue, see a therapist.

How to treat sleep apnea

First you need to clarify the diagnosis. After asking you about your symptoms, your doctor will most likely suggest Sleep apnea / Mayo Clinic to do sleep testing. Such a study can be performed both in a specialized clinic (go to it at night so that doctors can study the activity of your brain, heart, lungs while you sleep), and at home. In the second case, you will be prompted to use a portable sleep monitoring device.

If the diagnosis is confirmed, the doctor will try to determine the cause of sleep apnea. To do this, you will be referred to specialized specialists, for example, an ENT (to check the patency of the airways), a cardiologist, a neurologist. If they find any violation, it will need to be corrected - and then the problem of apnea will disappear by itself.

In the event that the immediate cause of temporary respiratory arrest cannot be found, the help of a somnologist will be required. The physician will select for you a special Sleep apnoea / NHS device - the so-called CPAP device (from the English CPAP - Constant Positive Airway Pressure).

This apparatus is a mask to be worn while sleeping. It is connected to a compressor that blows air into the respiratory tract. With such a device, it is advisable to sleep every day so that you really have a rest.

There are other treatments for sleep apnea. For example:

• Devices that help keep the airway open. These devices are like a removable artificial gum that must be inserted into your mouth before bed. They slightly push the lower jaw forward and expand the lumen of the pharynx.
• Surgical operations. With their help, the doctor can remove or compress the tonsils or part of the soft palate to increase the airway. Other options are aimed at advancing the lower jaw.

However, such methods are considered less effective than CPAP therapy. But in any case, only a doctor can choose a method of treatment, focusing on your individual characteristics and wishes.