Sleep apnia (apena) - what is it?

Sleep apnia is a very common condition affecting well over ten million Americans (from the statistics of the American National Institute of Health). Sleep apnea (apena) can be dangerous if symptoms left untreated.

This sleep disorder is as common as diabetes, but it is probably much less known a condition. The known risk groups of sleep apnia are people with overweight, males and the over 40's. That doesn't mean that the condition will not affect other groups, which in fact it will - even children. A large amount of cases is probably never detected due to the fact that apnea is rather unknown, both by patients and doctors.

This is a problem in itself, since some treatment is available and if left untreated, this is a serious condition that can lead to complications such as cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, impotency, headaches and many other problems. There are also indirect effects such as diminished funcionality in ones job, school or when driving a car. The disease has got more attention recently and research for more treatment options continues.

Sleep apena is a sleeping disorder that is more than just a slight disturbance to your sleep at night. It can be described as several bouts of stopped breathing, due to obstruction of the airflow, completely or partially. When this happens, your lungs will no longer provide enough oxygen to your body and organs and after a short while, your body awakes and tries to correct the problem. This is when the patient frequently snores, because of the sudden need for more air. 

Sleep apnea types

The name apnea means literally "without any breath" and it is derived from the sign (symptom) that this concition will actually stop the patients breathing repeatedly while sleeping. It can be as much as hundreds of times in a single nights sleep. The breathing pause can last up to a minute or in some cases even longer which makes apnea a serious condition if not treated in time.

There condition can be divided into three main groups:

• Obstructive SA (OSA)
• Central SA
• Mixed SA

The obstructive variety is the most common one, that is characterized by blockages in the upper airways during sleeping which will lead to a reduction of the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream. When the level goes under a certain critical level, the internal body alarm will try to wake up the body and this often results in a sudden gasp for air and an outbreak of snoring.

Central sleep apnia is due to a signal problem between the respiratory muscles and the brain that controls them. Mixed sleep apena is just as the name indicates, a mix of the two (central and obstructive). 

Treatment of sleep apnia (apnea) 

Some 25-30 years ago, the only established sleep apena treatment available was tracheostomy which meant the insertion of a ventilating tube in the neck in order to circumvent the physical blockages that makes up OSA (obstructive sleep apnea). This particular surgery is only used in emergency cases and particularly severe cases today.

Newer treatment methods are Mandibular myotomy, uvulo-palato-pharyngoplasty, LAUP and somnoplasty.

Symptoms and diagnose of sleeping apena

As it is difficult to diagnose this condition, it is often overlooked or misdiagnosed. Except for the symptoms that require listening in while sleeping, there are a few other symptoms like noticeably heavy snoring, a feeling of restless sleep, being confused when waking up and sometimes also having a dry mouth, severe headaches in the morning, blood pressure increase, daytime concentration problems, heavy sweating while asleep, insomnia, an urge to urinate often during night time and finally a general feeling of depression.

As you can see from this list, each of these symptoms can equally well be something else, or nothing at all if taken as an isolated problem. This is why OSA is very difficult to diagnose. 

A more scientific way of diagnosing the condition is to use polysomnography. This is - as the name hints - the recording of many things while you are sleeping. These things are usually blood pressure, brain waves, breathing, eye movement, muscular tension etc. A proper polysomnography means staying overnight in a clinic and that a trained technician will monitor your sleep. There is also a smaller version available where you use an automated machine at home, measuring several parameters as you are asleep.

Sleep apnia aids

Sleep apena (apnea) is connected to the problem of snoring, so many anti-snoring devices can also be used for sleep apnia relief and treatment. The primary device though, the CPAP (cepap) machine, is a pure SA tool which has proven very successful in offering a relief without resorting to surgery. There are also various dental appliances used to open up the airways during sleep.