Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that causes breathing to repeatedly stop and start during sleep. These interruptions can affect sleep quality and prevent the body from getting the oxygen it needs. Without appropriate treatment, sleep apnea can affect your overall health and quality of life.
Common signs and symptoms of sleep apnea may include loud snoring, pauses in breathing during sleep, waking up gasping or choking, daytime sleepiness, difficulty concentrating, irritability, morning headaches and difficulty staying asleep.
What Is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common type of sleep apnea. It occurs when the muscles and tissues in the throat relax during sleep and block the airway, temporarily reducing or stopping airflow. When breathing resumes, a person may snort, gasp or briefly wake up. These interruptions can happen repeatedly throughout the night and may prevent restful sleep.
How Is Sleep Apnea Diagnosed?
If you have symptoms of sleep apnea, your doctor may recommend a sleep study or other diagnostic testing. A sleep study, also called polysomnography, records information about your breathing and other body functions while you sleep. Depending on your symptoms, health and other factors, your care team will determine which type of sleep apnea testing is appropriate for you.
The results can help your doctor determine whether you have sleep apnea, evaluate its severity and recommend an appropriate treatment plan.
Sleep Apnea Treatment
Treatment for sleep apnea depends on the type and severity of the condition, your overall health and other individual factors. Your care team can help determine which treatment options are appropriate for you.
Positive Airway Pressure Therapy
Positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy helps keep the airway open while you sleep. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is a commonly used form of PAP therapy. A CPAP device delivers pressurized air through a mask worn during sleep to help prevent the airway from closing.
Other types of positive airway pressure therapy may be recommended depending on your individual needs. Your care team will help determine the appropriate therapy and settings for you.
Oral Appliance Therapy
Some patients may benefit from an oral appliance worn while sleeping. These devices are designed to help keep the airway open by repositioning the jaw, tongue or other structures of the mouth. Your doctor can determine whether oral appliance therapy may be appropriate for you.
Surgical Treatment
Surgery may be considered for some people with obstructive sleep apnea, particularly when anatomical features contribute to airway obstruction or when other treatments have not been effective or appropriate.
The type of procedure recommended depends on the cause of the airway obstruction and the patient's individual needs. Your care team may recommend evaluation by an ear, nose and throat specialist or another appropriate specialist to determine whether surgery should be considered.
Lifestyle Changes for Sleep Apnea
Depending on your individual risk factors and overall health, lifestyle changes may be part of your sleep apnea treatment plan. Recommendations may include:
- Maintaining a healthy weight or losing weight when recommended by your health care provider
- Avoiding or limiting alcohol, particularly before bedtime
- Discussing medications that may affect breathing or sleep with your health care provider
- Following healthy sleep habits and getting adequate sleep
- Avoiding tobacco and other substances that may affect your breathing
Lifestyle changes may help improve symptoms for some patients but may not replace other treatments. Follow the treatment plan recommended by your health care provider.
Who Is at Risk for Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
Obstructive sleep apnea can affect people of different ages and backgrounds. Certain factors may increase your risk of developing the condition.
Snoring
Loud or frequent snoring can be associated with obstructive sleep apnea, particularly when it is accompanied by pauses in breathing, gasping or choking during sleep. Not everyone who snores has sleep apnea, so talk with your doctor if you or someone close to you notices concerning changes in your breathing while you sleep.
Weight
Excess body weight can increase the risk of obstructive sleep apnea in some people. However, sleep apnea can also occur in people who are not overweight. Your doctor can help evaluate your individual risk factors.
Age and Other Health Factors
The risk of obstructive sleep apnea can be influenced by age, anatomy and other health factors. Because sleep apnea can affect people at different stages of life, symptoms such as repeated breathing pauses during sleep, excessive daytime sleepiness or waking up gasping should be discussed with a health care provider.
Family History
A family history of obstructive sleep apnea may increase a person's risk. Other inherited characteristics, including features that affect the size or shape of the airway, may also contribute to sleep apnea.
Alcohol and Certain Medications
Alcohol and certain medications can relax muscles in the throat and may worsen obstructive sleep apnea in some people. Talk with your health care provider about alcohol use and any prescription or over-the-counter medications that could affect your sleep or breathing.
When to Talk to Your Doctor About Sleep Apnea
Talk with your doctor if you experience symptoms such as loud snoring, pauses in breathing during sleep, waking up gasping or choking, excessive daytime sleepiness or ongoing problems getting restful sleep. Your doctor can evaluate your symptoms and determine whether sleep apnea testing may be appropriate.