What is sleep apnea? And if you snore, should you be worried?
Sleep disorder specialists explain: "apnea" means "without breath." Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) consists of periodic stoppage of breathing (apnea) during sleep. This disrupts sleep quality and can result in daytime sleepiness and fatigue. In severe cases, obstructive sleep apnea can result in an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.
What Happens with Sleep Apnea
Sleep experts explain, sleep induces muscle relaxation, which in turn allows pharyngeal (throat) structures to vibrate, in other words - snoring. If taken to an extreme, the airway gets sucked shut, similar to what occurs when sucking hard on a paper straw. Breathing stops (apnea). However, the brain detects a problem, and triggers an arousal from sleep. Each pause typically lasts 10-20 seconds or more. These pauses can occur 20 to 30 times or more an hour.
These sleep arousals disrupt sleep quality, but restores normal muscle tone, thus opening the airway, and breathing resumes. Although a person may be unaware he is experiencing frequent apneas, he may wake up feeling unrefreshed.
Sleep Apnea is more Common than You Think
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is extremely common. In fact, most people don't know they have it. It's usually a family member and/or bed partner that may be the first ones to notice the signs.
It has been estimated 24 per cent of middle-aged men and 9 per cent of middle- aged women have OSA. However, just like snoring, not everyone with OSA requires treatment. Symptomatic OSA occurs in about 4 per cent of men and 2 per cent of women and is usually characterized by sleep disruption and/ or daytime sleepiness.
There are Health Risks with Sleep Apnea
Untreated sleep apnea can increase the chance of having high blood pressure and even a heart attack or stroke. Untreated sleep apnea can also increase the risk of diabetes and the risk for work-related accidents and driving accidents.
Other signs of sleep apnea may include:
- Morning headaches.
- Memory or learning problems.
- Feeling irritable.
- Not being able to concentrate on your work.
- Mood swings or personality changes, perhaps feeling depressed.
- Dry throat upon awaking.
- Frequent urination at night.
Adults most likely to have sleep apnea:
- Snore loudly
- Are overweight
- Have high blood pressure
- Have decreased size of the airways in their nose, throat, or mouth. This can be caused by the shape of these structures or by medical conditions causing congestion in these areas, such as hay fever or other allergies.
- Have a family history of sleep apnea.
Treatment for sleep apnea is considered if it impairs quality of life, or a health risk. In general, health risk from sleep apnea is only present in patients with severe sleep apnea. Most people seeking treatment for OSA do so for quality of life reasons.
If you have any concerns and/or questions, please consult with your health care practitioner.
For more information on Sleep Apnea or other sleep disorders visit the Canadian Sleep Society web site, or the National Sleep Foundation.
