What Causes the Different Types of Sleep Apnea?
Snoring
Snoring during sleep does not disturb the snorer. However, it usually disturbs his/her bed partner and may disrupt the other's sleep throughout the night. According to research, in some cases snoring is related to serious medical problems and should be checked by a doctor.
We often think that snoring is harmless, but in reality, it can put you at a much higher risk for some serious diseases. However, most of the time snoring does not have any consequences on your health. The good thing about sleeping disorders is that there are many treatment options out there to help make the symptoms go away.
These days, sleep apnea and other sleep disorders can be cured without fail - thanks to different treatments.
Sleep
Sleep is essential for life because it has a major role in alleviating physical and emotional strain which could become dangerous if ignored. The body muscles and nerves are relieved during sleep which in turn boosts your immune system. That can recharge their biological functions, essentially rejuvenating them. It's very much like recharging a battery.
Our sleep cycle is closely linked to our circadian rhythm, which dictates the quality and quantity of our sleep. Most people need to sleep for a specific period of time before feeling refreshed. The amount of sleep needed may differ from person to person but it should be uninterrupted.
Research shows that the average person needs 8 hours of sleep a day in order to function optimally. For some, this may be less because their brain has trained itself to function most effectively on less sleep.
Remarks:
It's very important to get a good sleep daily. You should get at least 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. If you don't, you might suffer from different mental and physical disorders. A sleep disorder is diagnosed quickly if it is detected at the early stage and medicated for immediate relief
Sleep Apnea
The term apnea comes from the Greek word meaning "without breath". In other words, we can say that it means 'cessation of breath'. When your breathing is disrupted while sleeping, you'll have to wake up to gasp for air. This sounds like sleep apnea. According to research, this type of situation may occur 20-60 times in a span of an hour. To diagnose it, you'll be monitored while you're sleeping.
If you stop breathing for more than 10 seconds and strangle at least twice during one episode, you might have sleep apnea. This includes episodes of apnoea lasting 10-90 seconds where breathing may seem to stop completely.
Many people do not know they are suffering from insomnia or that there are treatments to help them, because they have so many episodes of sleep during the night and don't rest well.
Three types of Sleep Apnea:
1. Central Sleep Apnea (CSA) 2. Mixed Sleep Apnea 3. Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)
Obstructive sleep apnea, which is the most common type of sleep apnea, impacts many people. When your airway is blocked, it often happens in your sleep and because of the lack of oxygen while you're asleep. Your brain sends signals.
The risks of stroke, heart attack, and other cardiovascular problems will go up when you don't get enough oxygen during an episode. These can cause things like narcolepsy (sudden lapse of consciousness) and excessive daytime sleepiness.
Obstructions in OSA are most commonly caused by large tonsils or adenoids, being overweight, weak muscles, irregular physical structure (larger tongue or uvula or narrow airways).
Some other causes of sleep apnea could be a sleeping position that is either too tight or too loose, having asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), allergies, and excessive stress.
Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is more common than Central Sleep Apnea, but both conditions have significant health consequences. Apneas are sudden interruptions in breathing. They can happen either due to obstruction of the upper airway or lack of stimulation from nerves that control the respiratory muscles. Other than similar symptoms as obstructive sleep apnea, other symptoms may include numbness in your arms & legs, and changes to your voice.
Sleep apnea is prevalent and often goes undiagnosed due to its common symptoms such as lack of attention, heart diseases, high blood pressure, irritability and excessive daytime sleepiness. You will also be affected by a phenomenon called "Ondine's curse" and this might make it harder to breathe when you sleep.
People who live above the sea level or have experienced heart attacks or brain injuries might even experience an apnoeic episode while they are wide awake.
There are many causes of sleep apnea, such as neurological disorders, strokes, neurodegensive diseases, surgical complications and radiotherapy. Some other possible causes are:
1. Abnormal facial structure
2. The throat muscles and tongue relax a lot more than normal when you are asleep.
3. Uvula, fleshy tissue at the back of your throat also relaxes during your sleep.
4. Large tonsils and adenoids obstruct free flow of air through the nose and throat.
5. Weight gain
6. Age
7. Alcohol and drugs relax muscles of your breathing system
8. Smoking
9. Your genes
10. Nasal congestion due to allergies
11. Different diseases of thyroid glands like hypothyroidism, or neuromuscular diseases like acromegaly, or Down's syndrome, Marfan's syndrome, post-polio syndrome
Mixed Sleep Apnea is the result of both Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Central Sleep Apnea. It can happen when both the airways become constricted and pressure on various parts of the brain increase.
Lots of people who snore also gasp for air when they do. Overtime, this means that the soft tissue in their throat is being disrupted and so it'll eventually cause a blockage in their airways.
If you have difficulty inhaling oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide during the night, balance in oxygen will be affected. This can lead to your brain awakening to restart breathing.
AI sleep assistants help alleviate this problem by measurably improving your quality of sleep. They come with specially designed alarm clock features that gradually and naturally waken you up instead of giving you an instant jolt. You'll then feel refreshed and alert, without any grogginess or discomfort.
Sleep apnea is a condition that impacts your daily activities. It has to be identified and cured as soon as possible, the earlier the better. Get more information about sleep apnea and how to overcome it so you can live a life free of sleepiness and tiredness.