Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. If you snore loudly and feel tired even after a full night's sleep, you might have sleep apnea.
There are 3 common types of sleep apnea:
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Central Sleep Apnea
Complex Sleep Apnea
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Obstructive Sleep Apnea, the more common form that occurs when throat muscles relax, blocking your airway during sleep. It causes breathing to repeatedly stop and start during sleep. This is the most common type of Sleep Apnea. There are several types of sleep apnea, but the most common is obstructive sleep apnea. A noticeable sign of obstructive sleep apnea is snoring.
Treatments for obstructive sleep apnea are available. One treatment involves using a device that uses positive pressure to keep your airway open while you sleep. Another option is a mouthpiece to thrust your lower jaw forward during sleep. In some cases, surgery may be an option too.
Signs and symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea include:
Excessive daytime sleepiness
Loud snoring
Observed episodes of stopped breathing during sleep
Abrupt awakenings accompanied by gasping or choking
Awakening with a dry mouth or sore throat
Morning headache
Difficulty concentrating during the day
Experiencing mood changes, such as depression or irritability
High blood pressure
Nighttime sweating
Decreased libido
Central Sleep Apnea
Central Sleep Apnea, which occurs when your brain doesn't send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing is a disorder in which your breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. This condition is different from obstructive sleep apnea, in which you can't breathe normally because of upper airway obstruction. Central sleep apnea is less common than obstructive sleep apnea. Central sleep apnea may occur as a result of other conditions, including heart failure and stroke. Sleeping at a high altitude also may cause central sleep apnea.
Treatments for central sleep apnea may involve treating existing conditions, using a device to assist breathing or using supplemental oxygen.
Common signs and symptoms of central sleep apnea include:
Observed episodes of stopped breathing or abnormal breathing patterns during sleep
Abrupt awakenings accompanied by shortness of breath
Shortness of breath that's relieved by sitting up
Difficulty staying asleep (insomnia)
Excessive daytime sleepiness (hypersomnia)
Chest pain at night
Difficulty concentrating
Mood changes
Morning headaches
Snoring
Lower tolerance for exercise
Complex Sleep Apnea
Complex Sleep Apnea is a newly defined type of sleep apnea by Mayo Clinic and is also known as treatment-emergent central sleep apnea, which occurs when an individual has both obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea. Patients with complex sleep apnea at first appear to have obstructive sleep apnea and stop breathing 20 to 30 times per hour each night.