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Obstructive sleep apnea: a sleep-related disorder

 What is obstructive sleep apnea? 


Have you heard of sleep disorders? You might have heard of too much sleep or too little sleep? Have you heard of difficulty breathing or a period of absent breathing(very fractional absence) during the sleep?  It is obstructive sleep apnea. 

In simpler words, it is a sleep-related disorder of breathing. The term apnea refers to the absence or cessation of breathing. The word phrase apneic epsidoes mean the periods with cessation of breathing for a while in between the normal breathing. Hypopnea is the very less breathing than normal.  

Obstructive sleep apnea is a sleep disorder of breathing wherein there are frequent epsiodes of apnea and or hypopnea when a person is sleeping. The obstruction in the upper airway causes the breathing to stop by blocking the airflow to the lungs. It may be a partial or complete block for a while. The upper airway collapse may result either from complete or partial blockage of the parts of upper respiratory tract.

Many persons who snore may have obstructive sleep apnea. If snoring is associated with periods of obstructed breathing, such persons need to seek medical help. However, it is not necessary that all people who snore are having this sleep apnea disorder.  Getting your symptoms correctly diagnosed by a medical doctor can help you out. 

A cessation in the breathing may suddenly reduce the oxygen flow to the blood. This results into low oxygenation levels during sleep.  Blood oxygen saturation decreases which can affect the quality of life and may cause complications to the vital parts of the body such as brain, heart and nerves. 

What are the signs and symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea?

The following signs and symptoms may be of obstructive sleep apnea:

  • Periods of apnea/absence of breathing
  • Snoring loudly, unusual with periods of silence
  • Snorting during sleep
  • Sudden gasping 
  • Sudden choking
  • Disruption in sleep
  • Inability to breath while asleep
  • Restlessness during sleep
  • Night sweating 
  • Sudden waking up in the middle of night with a loud noise or heavy gasp
  • Feeling tired or fatigued in the morning
  • Mood changes and irritability
  • Daytime sleepiness due to sleep deprivation
  • Waking up with a dry mouth or sore throat
  • Nocturia or frequent urge to pee at night
When should you see a doctor?

You may have the symptoms at night but strangely not know that you actually have this sleep disorder. Your bed partner may notice these symptoms however and if he/she notices any above symptoms, seek medical help immediately.
SEE your doctor right away if:
  • you are snoring loud enough to disturb your and others' sleep
  • your snoring includes a brief period of absent breathing 
  • you remain silent between the snores
  • you wake up suddenly for brief periods with sudden gasping or snorting with a jerk. 
  • you feel more restless 
  • you feel daytime lethargy and drowisness
  • you feel sleepy during the daytime
  • you feel your quality of life has been affected.

What are the causes of Obstructive sleep apnea? 

The cause of obstructive sleep apnea is the collapse of upper airway. when the muscles of the upper airway, orpharynx relax more they partially or completely block the airway by uvula and this makes the air unable to enter the lungs. It results into stopped breathing for a while. It may be as brief as 10 seconds. The sudden obstruction of air reduces the blood oxygen saturation and in place, carbon dioxide starts to build up, hypercapnea. 
our brain has got receptors that sense the increasing levels of carbon dioxide and they stimulate a wake-up response to help open the obstruction.  It is the reason why a person wakes up with sudden gasp. It is our brain that signals us to breath even during sleep.  This helps us recover from the apneic episode and breath again normally. 
A person can have 5-30 apneic episodes during sleep and not even know that he is having a obstructive sleep disorder. 

Risk factors that may contribute to obstructive sleep disorder:
  • Old age
  • Men are at more risk
  • Menopausal women
  • People who snore during sleep.
  • Alcohol and smoking
  • People with asthma
  • People with high blood pressure
  • People having a family history of sleep disorder
  • People having large uvula, the part that hangs down into your throat
  • People with large neck or large tongue
  • People with diabetes
  • People having nasal septum deviations
  • People who are overweight

How is the diagnosis of sleep apnea or obstructive sleep apnea made?

It may not be easy for you to know that you are suffering from this disorder. If you feel suspicious about your symptoms, seek medical help to get it diagnosed. 
You may require a night stay to monitor your sleep pattern. A sleep study may be performed with various monitoring devices attached to your body that measure your airflow, respirations, breathing pattern and change, electrical activity of brain during sleep, eyeball movement, muscle tone and specially the SpO2 or the oxygen saturation of the blood. 

What is the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea disorder? 

Treatment of obstructive sleep disorder depends on the underlying cause. Your pulmonologist or concerned doctor may rule out the cause that is disrupting the airflow and treat you accordingly. 
IF obesity is the risk factor, you may need to lose your weight considerably. 
You may be advised to avoid alcohol, smoking or taking sleep pills as these habits may actually aggravate your symptoms. 
IF there is any muscular cause, you may be recommended a surgery to tighten the muscles. 
If you have deviated nasal septum that contributes to the sleep apnea, your ENT surgeon may recommended a nasal surgery to correct the septal deviation. 
There are multiple options available and your doctor helps you choose what is suitable for you. 

What are the complications of Obstructive sleep apnea disorder? 
  • Decreased quality of life
  • Sleep deprivation
  • Daytime fatigue and sleepiness
  • Heart problems, arrthymia and palpitations
  • Mood changes and irritability 
  • Eye problems
  • Nocturia and potential complications related to it.
Talk to your doctor and get the best medical help to prevent any complications of obstructive sleep apnea disorder. 


Note: This post is for educational and informational purpose only. It is not a substitute to medical or expert advice and treatment. Seek medical help in any case. 

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