Sleep Apnea: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding the Causes

Overview

Sleep apnea is a condition which affects an individual’s ability to sleep normally. It is characterised by frequent pauses in breathing that lead to shallow breaths or no breath at all. These pauses can go on for a few seconds or even minutes. The lack of continuous airflow can cause a person to awaken from a sleeping state throughout the night and feel fatigued the next day. Below is a detailed description of the causes, symptoms, risk factors, and medications for Sleep Apnea to understand the medical disorder in more depth.

Sleep Apnea can happen due to various reasons. In case of any such issue or disorder, one should rush to a doctor to get the symptoms checked and find proper medications for quicker healing.

Types of Sleep Apnea

• • Obstructive Sleep Apnea– The condition happens when the windpipe is blocked due to relaxed throat muscles.
    
  • Central Sleep Apnea happens when the brain cannot signal the breathing muscles to function as they should. This results in the stopping of the breathing system while sleeping.
    
  • Complex Sleep Apnea combines Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Central Sleep Apnea, making it difficult for the affected individual to sleep peacefully.

Causes of Sleep Apnea

Mentioned below are some of the causes of Sleep Apnea:

• • Congested Windpipe- A congested windpipe is one of the biggest and usually observed causes of Sleep Apnea. It usually happens in the case of Obstructive Sleep Apnea. The throat muscles get relaxed and hence pressurise the windpipe around. It makes the affected individual feel choked and wake up suddenly in the middle of the night.
    
  • Improper Signals– Sleep Apnea can also happen due to improper signals sent by the brain. Hence, there is no control over the breathing pattern. For example, the condition is observed in the case of Central Sleep Apnea.
    
  • Hypoxia- Hypoxia is also one of the causes of Sleep Apnea. The medical condition happens when proper oxygen supply is not supplied to the blood circulating through the body. It makes the affected individual feel tired, uneasy while breathing and exhausted in chronic conditions.
    
  • Improper functioning of the Nervous System– The nervous system handles major control movements of the human body. Hence, if the human body’s nervous system faces any issue, it can lead to Sleep Apnea. Therefore, it is also one of the signs of Sleep Apnea. 

Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

• • Sleep Apnea is a sleep disorder hence identifying the symptoms of Sleep Apnea is a manageable task. Mentioned below are some of the symptoms of Sleep Apnea that help the affected individual to understand the issue and rush to a doctor:
    
  • Restlessness or Feeling Tired- Feeling tired is one of the symptoms of Sleep Apnea. The individual feels tired even after a full night’s sleep. Hence, it may also make the affected individual feel irritated and low on energy.
    
  • Mood Swings– Anxiety, depression, and often mood swings are some symptoms of Sleep Apnea. Hence, the person also loses focus and cannot even perform the simplest daily routine task comfortably.
    
  • Blurry Memory– Memory issues or difficulty focusing or understanding things are signs of Sleep Apnea. The brain cannot send proper signals leading to memory issues, difficulty memorising things, or tasks involving deep and analytical thinking.
    
  • Disturbed Sleep– The individual affected by Sleep Apnea might experience disturbed sleep. The individual might wake up suddenly at night, leading to a lack of sleep. Hence, this is also one of the symptoms of Sleep Apnea. 

Treatment Options for Sleep Apnea

• • Sleep Apnea can be treated with the help of simple lifestyle changes to lower the symptoms of the medical disorder. Mentioned below are some of the treatment options for Sleep Apnea:
    
  • CPAP Machine- Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine helps to provide enough oxygen through the upper airway passage. Hence, this is one of the most-opted treatment options for Sleep Apnea. However, many people feel uncomfortable using a CPAP machine while sleeping. But, with daily practice and adjustments, one can get used to the machine and help oneself with easy breathing.
    
  • Oral Appliances– Various other oral appliances are helpful to avoid pressure on the congested windpipe. Hence, people who cannot use a CPAP machine can also opt for other breathing devices to avoid discomfort. Hence, different oral appliance types are also considered one of the treatment options for Sleep Apnea.
    
  • Surgery- In case of chronic Sleep Apnea symptoms, doctors suggest surgery. As an example, people with temporomandibular jaw issues highly opt for surgery as one of the treatment options for Sleep Apnea. Surgery isn’t the prime option to treat Sleep Apnea. It is suggested by doctors after various other treatment options have failed to produce results.
    
  • Lifestyle Changes– One of the best treatment options for Sleep Apnea involves different lifestyle changes. The involvement of habits like exercising, including any form of physical activity, a healthy diet, low consumption of junk food, quitting smoking, and many other lifestyle changes are helpful to lower the symptoms of Sleep Apnea.

When to Consult a Doctor

You can also get in touch with the expert Neurology doctors at Narayana Healthcare based in your city to get immediate attention and medical support during injuries, health disorders or any other health concern.

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Conclusion

Sleep Apnea is a sleeping disorder that causes difficulty in breathing while sleeping. Unfortunately, the medical disorder cannot be healed from the root, but proper treatment options for Sleep Apnea help lower the symptoms of sleeping disorder. The symptoms can also be lowered with the help of some minor lifestyle changes like regular exercise, quitting smoking and drinking, losing weight, and changing sleep positions.

FAQS

Q. What are the symptoms of Sleep Apnea?
A. Sudden waking up in the middle of the night, dry mouth after the whole night’s sleep, headache, and tired the whole day after a full night’s sleep are some common symptoms of Sleep Apnea. 

Q. How is Sleep Apnea diagnosed?
A. Tests such as nocturnal polysomnography and home sleep tests are some of the tests suggested to identify the signs of Sleep Apnea. 

Q. What are the treatment options for Sleep Apnea?
A. Proper medications, using different types of breathing machines to clear the upper pathway for easy breathing and minute lifestyle changes are some treatment options for Sleep Apnea. 

Q. How does Sleep Apnea affect overall health?
A. Sleep Apnea is a medical condition caused due to improper or lack of sleep. Hence, the individual might experience headaches, body pain, tiredness, or low energy the whole day due to a lack of peaceful sleep.