SLEEP APNEA

Sleep apnea is a potentially fatal sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. People with untreated sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep, at times thousands of time. There are three main types of sleep apnea:

Obstructive sleep apnea

This form of apnea occurs in form of blockage of the airway, usually when the soft tissue in the back of the throat collapses during sleep.

Central sleep apnea

Unlike Obstructive sleep apnea, the airways are not blocked but the brain fails to signal the muscles to breathe due to instability in the respiratory control center.

Complex sleep apnea syndrome

This is also known as treatment-emergent central sleep apnea which occurs when someone has both obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea.

Who is at risk of sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea can affect anyone at any age; even children. The risk factors for sleep apnea include:

• Being male

• Being overweight

• Being over age 40

• Having a large neck size

• Having a larger tongue or small jaw size

• Having a family history of sleep apnea

• Nasal obstruction due to a deviated septum, allergies or sinus problem

General symptoms of sleeping apnea include:

• Loud snoring

• Episodes in which you stop breathing during sleep

• Gasping for air during sleep

• Awakening with a dry mouth

• Morning headache

• Difficulty in staying asleep (insomnia)

• Excessive daytime sleepiness (hypersomnia)

• Irritability

Treatment for sleeping apnea consist of change of lifestyle e.g. losing weight or quitting smoking. In case of nasal allergies, the doctor will recommend treatment for your allergies. In moderate to severe sleep apnea therapies can be applied; such as Continuous positive airway pressure. After every treatment option has failed, surgical operations are applied, which include: Tissue removal, Tissue shrinkage, Jaw repositioning, implants, nerve stimulation and creating a new air passageway (tracheostomy).

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