Sleep Apnea Symptoms

Sleep apnea is a kind of sleep disorder in which a person's breathing pauses for few moments during sleep. It is found mostly in adults. Children are rarely affected by this. When apnea occurs, sleep is totally disrupted or the person goes from deep sleep into a shallow one. In apnea, breathing stops either completely or airflow is reduced to as low as 25 percent. In normal breathing, airflow is seventy percent and above.

Sleep Apnea Types

There are two different types of sleep apnea. They are Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and Central Sleep Apnea (CSA). Obstructive sleep apnea is a more common form of sleep apnea.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA): Here, obstruction of breathing takes place, as tissue near the throat collapses during sleep. This results in choking of the wind pipe, as a result of which the air is unable to reach the lungs. It is the throat muscles which help in keeping the throat and airway open.

Central Sleep Apnea (CSA): This is a central nervous system disorder which happens due to delay in signals from the brain regarding breathing. The main causes of this disorder is some disease or injury of the brainstem, like viral infection, tumor or stroke.

Sleep Apnea Symptoms

Research has shown that in ninety percent cases, people with sleep apnea are not aware that they have apnea. A person with sleep apnea may come out of sleep several times through the night, but may not even remember those episodes. Most of the time, it is the bed partner of the affected person who sees the signs and symptoms of sleep apnea.

The causes of OSA are very different from that of CSA. However, the symptoms and effects of both are similar. In both the cases, lack of oxygen and inadequate sleep are present. When breathing is arrested in sleep apnea, the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide gets disturbed. The brain needs to resume the process of breathing all over again. So the brain sends wake up signals to the the muscles of throat and tongue to increase the airway passage. Thus, carbon dioxide is released and fresh oxygen can reach the lungs.

Some of the symptoms that are commonly observed in people who suffer from sleep apnea are as follows:

• During sleep, frequent silences can occur because of pauses in breathing (apnea).
• Blocking of normal breathing or sense of breathlessness due to lack of air inside the lungs.
• Snoring with a loud noise. It is to be noted that people with CSA, usually do not have snoring problems.
• Frequent waking from sleep in order to return to normal breathing or getting up from sleep with excessive sweating.
• Feeling tired and sleepy even after waking.
• Irritability and tiredness during the day time despite sleeping whole night.

The severity of sleep apnea is measured by dividing the number of apneas by the total hours of sleep. This measuring scale is called apnea index (AI). If the AI is high, it means the apnea is more severe. Sleep apnea should not be ignored. Diagnosis of sleep apnea is based on a person's medical history. Treatments for sleep apnea involve administering medicines that quicken the breathing process and supply oxygen if needed. If it is left untreated, then it can be life-threatening.