4 Questions to Ask about Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea occurs when your breathing stops and starts repeatedly; sleep apnea can easily become a serious sleep disorder if not treated. Many individuals who tend to snore loudly and who often feel exhausted after a full night’s sleep may be dealing with sleep apnea, and not even know they are.

One of the causes for sleep apnea to occur is the muscle in the back of your throat which starts to relax as you fall deeper into sleep. These muscles in the back of your throat support the soft palate, which is the triangular shape of the tissue, they also support the tonsils, sidewalls within the throat, and the tongue. With your muscles relaxing, the airways begin to narrow or close as you breathe in. If your body is unable to get enough air while you sleep, the lower the oxygen levels become in your blood. Your brain will begin to sense your body is unable to breathe, and will briefly awaken you so you then open up your airways. You may do this by snorting, choking, or gasping for air. This can become a pattern and can happen anywhere from 5 to 30 times or more every hour, which in turn begins to affect your sleep.

There are three types of sleep apnea that someone can be diagnosed with:

• Obstructive sleep apnea: The most common type of sleep apnea that an individual may be diagnosed with. This type occurs when the throat muscles begin to relax.

• Central sleep apnea: This type occurs when the brain doesn’t send the signals it needs to the muscles that help control breathing.

• Complex sleep apnea syndrome: Complex sleep apnea occurs when both obstructive and central sleep apnea emerge. It is also medically known as treatment-emergent central sleep apnea.

Central sleep apnea is the least common of the three for an individual to be diagnosed with, as it happens when your body makes no effort at all to breathe for a short period. If you are dealing with this, you will normally awaken with shortness of breath or you will have much more difficulty staying asleep, let alone falling asleep.

Diagnosing sleep apnea types can often be quite difficult; the most common signs and symptoms of obstructive and central sleep apnea may include:

• Loud snoring
• Times during your sleep cycle that you may stop breathing
• Gasping for air during your sleep
• Awakening with extremely dry mouth
• Headaches in the morning
• Difficulty with staying asleep
• Extreme exhaustion during the day
• Difficulty paying attention when you are awake
• Irritable

It is highly recommended you visit your doctor if you continue to snore loudly, as this is a major indication of a potentially serious issue; however, not everyone who has sleep apnea snores loudly or at all. If you are showcasing other warning signs as noted above for sleep apnea, it is best to still go in and talk to your medical physician, they will be able to evaluate your symptoms, possibly run some exams and examine your body to determine if you qualify for sleep apnea treatment.

If sleep apnea goes untreated, it can cause several issues including:

• Hypertension
• Stroke
• Arrhythmias
• Cardiomyopathy
• Heart failure
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Heart attacks

Sleep apnea is well-known to cause arrhythmias as well as heart failure. Usually, if you have sleep apnea issues you tend to also have higher blood pressure. This is due to sleep apnea causing:

• Repeated occurrences of your oxygen levels lowering (also called hypoxia)
• Changes in your carbon dioxide levels
• Direct effects on the heart due to the pressure changes within your chest
• Increased levels of inflammation

Due to all of this, it is highly recommended you speak to your medical physician, so they can not only examine you but offer a diagnosis and treatment options to manage sleep apnea. Call us today or simply book an appointment online. We serve patients from Hallandale Beach FL, Aventura FL, Hollywood FL, Golden Glades FL, Miramar FL, Hialeah FL, Fort Lauderdale FL, and BEYOND.