Sleep apnea

Some people have trouble breathing while they sleep.

Sometimes, the path for air gets blocked. This can make a person snore. It can also make a loud choking sound.

When breathing stops, the body gets less air. This can make a person feel very tired during the day. They might even feel moody.

Doctors can help people feel better. Some use a special machine to help them breathe.

Other ways to help include changing how you live. Sleeping on your side can help too. Getting help helps people stay healthy.

Sleep apnea is a breathing disorder. It happens while a person sleeps. It can cause pauses in breathing. It can also make breathing very shallow.

There are two main types. The most common is obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA. This happens when the airway gets blocked.

The second type is central sleep apnea, or CSA. In CSA, the brain fails to send the signal to breathe.

When breathing stops, oxygen levels in the body can drop. This is called hypoxemia. Carbon dioxide can also build up. This is called hypercapnia. These changes can make a person feel very tired during the day. They might also feel moody.

Doctors use a sleep study to find the problem. They may use a machine called a CPAP. This machine helps a person breathe during the night.

Other ways to help include losing weight or sleeping on one's side. People can also have surgery to help their airway.

Using a CPAP can help improve blood pressure and sleepiness.

Sleep apnea is a breathing disorder that happens while you sleep. It causes many pauses in breathing or very shallow breathing. These pauses can last from a few seconds to several minutes. They often happen many times during a single night.

This can lead to poor ventilation and broken sleep. Because sleep is interrupted, many people feel very tired during the day. This condition is often chronic, which means it lasts for a long time.

There are two main types of this disorder. The most common type is obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA. In OSA, the airway gets blocked by a physical obstruction.

This might happen if the airway is narrow or collapses. The second type is central sleep apnea, or CSA. In CSA, the brain does not send the right signal to breathe.

This causes the person to miss one or more breathing cycles. Both types can make it hard for the body to get enough oxygen.

When breathing stops, the body undergoes several changes. Oxygen levels in the blood can drop to a low level called hypoxemia. At the same time, carbon dioxide can build up, which is called hypercapnia.

These changes can trigger other effects like Cheyne–Stokes respiration. Doctors often find the condition when a family member hears snoring or choking sounds. To find the exact cause, doctors use an overnight sleep study in a lab. They use a number called the apnea-hypopnea index, or AHI, to see how severe the OSA is.

Sleep apnea is very common around the world. A large study in 2019 found that OSA affects about 936 million to 1 billion people. This is roughly 1 in 10 people between the ages of 30 and 69. It affects up to 30% of elderly people. Men are about twice as likely to have it as women. Factors like being overweight or having large tonsils can increase the risk. Without treatment, it can lead to serious health problems like heart disease or stroke. It is also linked to a higher risk of car accidents due to sleepiness.

There are many ways to help people breathe better at night. Some people make lifestyle changes, like losing weight or sleeping on their side. Others use a breathing device called a CPAP machine.

A CPAP machine helps keep the airway open. Using a CPAP can help improve blood pressure and reduce sleepiness. In some cases, doctors might suggest surgery to help the airway.

Even though it can be hard to use the device every night, it can help protect the brain and heart.

Sleep apnea is a serious sleep-related breathing disorder. It causes repetitive pauses in breathing or periods of shallow breathing. These events often cause the upper airway to collapse during sleep. Such disruptions lead to poor ventilation and broken sleep patterns.

Because sleep is interrupted, many people feel very tired during the day. This condition is often chronic, meaning it lasts for a long time. It can affect a person's health, mood, and even their safety while driving.

There are three main ways to categorize this disorder. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common type, accounting for 84% of cases. In OSA, breathing is interrupted by a physical blockage of airflow. Central sleep apnea (CSA) accounts for 0.9% of cases. In CSA, the brain fails to send the proper neurological signals to inhale. Finally, 15% of cases are classified as mixed sleep apnea.

Obstructive sleep apnea works through a complex mechanical process. It often involves a narrow or collapsible upper airway. During sleep, the pharyngeal dilator muscles may function ineffectively. This can cause the airway to narrow or close completely.

When the airway is blocked, carbon dioxide builds up in the bloodstream. This state is called hypercapnia. At the same time, oxygen levels in the blood may drop. This drop in oxygen is known as hypoxemia.

To fix this, chemoreceptors in the blood signal the brain. The brain then wakes the person up to clear the airway. Once breathing resumes, oxygen levels return to normal, and the person falls back asleep.

Central sleep apnea involves a different mechanism. It is often driven by sleep-related hypoventilation or post-hyperventilation hypocapnia. The most common cause of CSA is hypocapnia following heart failure. This happens when there are brief failures in the ventilatory control system. In other cases, sleep-related hypoventilation occurs due to a malfunction in the brain's drive to breathe. This can be caused by diseases like stroke or severe kyphoscoliosis.

Doctors use specific measurements to diagnose and track the severity of OSA. They often perform an overnight sleep study in a lab. For OSA, they calculate the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). This index is the total number of breathing pauses and shallow breathing episodes lasting over 10 seconds. That sum is divided by the total hours of recorded sleep. For CSA, doctors look at respiratory effort. They measure this by checking esophageal pressure or the movement of the chest and abdomen.

Sleep apnea is a massive global health issue. A 2019 analysis found it affects between 936 million and 1 billion people aged 30 to 69. This is roughly 1 in 10 people in that age group. Among the elderly, the prevalence can reach 30%. Men are roughly twice as likely to have the condition as women. Risk factors include obesity, age over 40, and a large neck circumference. Other factors include enlarged tonsils, a narrow upper jaw, or a family history of the disorder.

If left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to many systemic health problems. It is associated with hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and stroke. It can also increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation. There is even a connection to neurodegeneration. Sleep apnea is linked to increased beta-amyloid protein and white-matter damage. These are key indicators of Alzheimer's disease. However, using treatment like CPAP may help reverse some of these risks to brain structure.

There are several ways to manage and treat the condition. Lifestyle changes can include losing weight, quitting smoking, or avoiding alcohol. Some people also find relief by sleeping on their side. A common medical treatment is the CPAP machine, or continuous positive airway pressure.

This device helps keep the airway open during the night.

While CPAP improves many outcomes, long-term use can be difficult. In 2017, only 15% of potential patients in developed countries used CPAP. In some cases, doctors may recommend surgery to modify the throat area.