What Are The Causes, Symptoms and Types of Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a very serious sleeping disorder that millions of individuals all over the world suffer from. In this article, we will discuss the three different types of sleep apnea and their various causes, symptoms and treatment methods.
Despite the seriousness of sleep apnea, there are plenty of remedies that can be used to stop the disorder completely. However, before being able to start on a treatment, you will first have to figure out which of the three types of sleep apnea you are suffering from.
Identifying the Type of Sleep Apnea You Have
The most common of the three types of sleep apnea is the obstructive sleep apnea, sometimes called OSA. It is triggered by the presence of a physical blockage or obstruction in the air passage, preventing the regular flow of air into the person’s lungs.
Central sleep apnea is the second type of this sleep breathing problem. This particular type is quite rare and is caused when the brain fails to deliver the signal to breathe. Central sleep apnea is often seen in people who have a brain infection, a serious respiratory disease, or a brain tumor.
Finally, there is the MSA or mixed sleep apnea, which is a blend of the two previous types. This is considered to be a not-so-serious variation of the disorder, and is usually treated using simple remedies like lifestyle changes or sleeping aids.
What Are the Causes and Symptoms of Sleep Apnea?
Each of these types of sleep apnea comes with its own set of specific causes but the symptoms are basically the same for all of them. In particular, people suffering from all types of sleep apnea stop breathing up to hundreds of times during the night and wake up frequently due to these cessations in breathing.
Sleep apnea can happen to anyone, but there are certain factors that can increase your risk, such as smoking, alcohol drinking, obesity or the use of certain medications. Therefore, if you want to reduce your chances of suffering from this condition, you can start by minimizing your negative lifestyle habits and making positive changes to your diet and exercise routines.
If you are not sure whether you are already suffering from sleep apnea or not, here are some of the symptoms that you may look for:
- Loud snoring
- Frequently waking up throughout the night
- Unexplained tiredness upon waking up in the morning
- Irritability, forgetfulness and sleepiness during the day
Of course, don’t self diagnose. Your health care professional will be able to determine the type of sleep apnea you may or may not have.
The Fundamentals Of Sleep Apnea
There are many different kinds of sleep disorders that people can suffer from, and one of the most prevalent ones is called sleep apnea. A person who has sleep apnea will typically stop breathing several times during the night as they sleep, causing them to wake up repeatedly and preventing them from getting the body’s required amount of sleep per night.
Three Types of Sleep Apnea
Experts have identified at least three kinds of sleep apnea – central, obstructive, and a mixture of these two. Most diagnosed cases fall under the obstructive category, where the airway is blocked by certain parts of the body such as enlarged tonsils or fat tissues that relax into the throat as the person sleeps.
Common Symptoms
Although most people who suffer from sleep apnea have no recollection of the frequent cessation of their breathing at night, they do experience a number of telling symptoms during the day. The most common of these symptoms is exhaustion, which is due to the fact that their bodies are not able to fully revitalize itself at night. Most of them also wake up feeling tired even after sleeping for seven to eight hours during the night.
Such physical symptoms of this sleep disorder can definitely be inconvenient but what’s even worse is that sleep apnea can also increase the risk of stroke and heart attack. The reason for this is that the body is forced to function with lower oxygen levels, the strain of which can ultimately cause hypertension and other equally serious medical problems.
According to studies, sleep apnea affects more than 12 million people in the United States alone. This sleeping disorder can occur in everyone — adults, children, men or women. However, there are certain types of people who are more prone to developing this condition, such as those that are very overweight, have high blood pressure, or drink alcohol on a regular basis. Many experts also believe that this sleeping disorder can be a hereditary disorder, as it usually runs in families.
Effective Treatments
Despite the prevalence and seriousness of sleep apnea, it is good to know that there are several effective remedies that can be used to combat this condition. Some of these remedies address only the symptoms of the disorder, while others get right down to the root of the problem.
The most popular treatment for sleep apnea that does not use medication is the use of CPAP machines, where the patient is required to wear a special mask while sleeping, which keeps the air passage open and ensures that breathing will continue even while the person is already fast asleep.
