Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by pauses in breathing or instances of shallow breathing during sleep. Each pause, called apnea, can last for a few seconds up to several minutes. To have a diagnosis of sleep apnea, more than five episodes an hour must occur. When breathing is paused, carbon dioxide builds up in the blood stream and chemoreceptors in the blood stream note the high carbon dioxide levels and signal the brain to wake the person up to breathe in air. Breathing normally will restore oxygen levels and the person will fall asleep again. Diagnosis usually requires an overnight sleep study test called polysomnography.
Central sleep apnea (CSA) occurs in 0.4% of the population where breathing is interrupted by a lack of respiratory effort. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) occurs in 84% of the population where breathing is interrupted by a physical block to airflow despite respiratory effort, and snoring is common. Complex or mixed sleep apnea happens in 15% of the population. Regardless of the type, people with sleep apnea are rarely aware of the difficulty they are having breathing, even upon awakening. Symptoms may be present for years (even decades) without recognition, where the person has become conditioned to the daytime sleepiness and fatigue associated with the sleep disturbances. It doesn’t just affect adults, but children too.
Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and impaired alertness, daytime fatigue, slower reaction time, as well as vision problems are signs that you may be suffering from sleep apnea. OSA may increase the risk for driving accidents and work-related accidents. If left untreated, OSA will have increased health problems, such as diabetes and death can occur with the lack of oxygen to the body. Other symptoms are moodiness, belligerence, as well as a decrease in attentiveness and energy. Sleep paralysis, the fear of which can sometimes lead to insomnia. These effects may lead to depression. Some risk factors of sleep apnea are being male, excessive weight, an age above 40, a large neck size, enlarged tonsils or tongue, a small jaw bone, having gastroesophageal reflux, allergies or sinus problems, a family history of sleep apnea, and a deviated septum.
Treatment usually consists of lifestyle changes such as weight loss, and the use of a breathing assistance device at night, such as a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. Quitting smoking, reducing allergy symptoms, and oral appliances to keep your throat open can help. Surgery is done when other treatments have failed or you choose not to use other treatments. The surgeon can trim down your soft palate and uvula, remove your tonsils, and reposition some of the muscles of the soft palate. Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) and other soft palate procedures are the most common type of surgery for sleep apnea. Tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy is often the treatment for children because these enlarged are usually the cause of sleep apnea for them. Maxillomandibular Advancement (MMA) surgery moves the upper and lower jaw forward to increase the size of the airway. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) reduces the size of the tongue and other tissues that may be blocking the airflow to the lungs. Palatal implants are small plastic rods that are implanted in the soft palate to make it stiffer to keep the tissue from blocking the airway.
You do not need to suffer from sleep apnea! There are treatments and surgery available to alleviate symptoms that affect day to day living. Call the professionals at ENT Specialists today.
