If you have been diagnosed with central sleep apnea, chances are that you are both surprised and confused. First of all, you know nothing about sleep apnea. Obviously chances of knowing other variants of the illness, the features and cure options are remote.
Sleep apnea is a dreaded sleep disorder, triggered by untreated snoring. It happens when the air passage narrows, causing major obstruction during normal breathing, especially during sleep.
The different types
There are three types of this condition: obstructive, central and mixed. Of these three types, obstructive sleep apnea is the most common, happening when there is a complete collapse or blockage in the upper respiratory tract.
What actually happens?
Breathing distress is caused mainly by lack of communication or coordination between the brain and the breathing muscles. The brain controls all muscular functions and it sends out timely signals to muscles responsible for breathing, regarding frequency and time of breathing.
For example, obstructive type of apnea happens when the recipient breathing muscles cannot implement the breathing signals sent out by the brain because of obstructions in the air passage. It t is an outcome of complete blockage and collapse of the upper respiratory tract.
The central type of this disorder is an outcome of total gap in coordination between the brain and breathing muscles. The brain in this case is incapable of sending out any signal - thus, there is no effort to breathe. This ailment is a result of heart and cerebrovascular ailments or any congenital disease.
Some health conditions are common triggers for this condition:
- Bulbar poliomyelitis
- Complications arising from cervical spine surgery
- Encephalitis involving the brainstem
- Neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson's disease
- Radiation of the cervical spine
Sleep apnea Symptoms: playing the hide-and-seek game
One of the reasons why this illness remains undiagnosed for a long time is because a majority of the features appear during sleep. Normally, the bed partner notices the gasps and choking during sleep, long pauses in between loud and persistent snoring, etc, and call for medical help. What the patient experiences include rapid and unexplained weight gain, excessive daytime sleepiness, depression and irritability, etc.
Typical signs of central type of this disorder are excessive daytime tiredness, morning headaches and restless sleep.
Diagnosis
It is done with the help of an overnight sleep test also known as polysomnogram examination. It is one of the most reliable and objective diagnostic tool that show the doctor: the nature of the illness, severity and site of obstruction in the air passage. The physical and physiological parameters studied during this overnight sleep study include eye, abdomen and limb movements; brain waves, heart rate, loudness of snoring; oxygen levels in the blood, etc.
Sleep apnea treatment: what are the options?
CPAP therapy along with simultaneous deployment of several lifestyle modifications and self-help strategies are considered to be the best options for managing mild to moderate conditions.
For patients who are dissatisfied with the use of the therapy, there are several equally effective CPAP alternatives including steroid nasal sprays; nasal decongestants containing oxymetazoline and neosynephrine; drugs like modanifil or armodanifil or using dental sleep apnea devices like mouth guards, etc .are also recommended.
Serious conditions however demand surgical intervention.
Some signs could be misleading
At times diagnostic confusion is created by overlapping signs that are common to several sleep disorders. For example, excessive daytime sleepiness is one of the leading signs of hypersomnia as well as narcolepsy.
If you probe a bit deeper, what is narcolepsy? It is a sleep disorder known for the sudden sleep attacks - typical of this illness and not seen in any other kind of sleep disorder. Then study the age of onset. For sleep apnea, the likely age is around 50 years; other illnesses usually set in much earlier. As far as cause of onset, central sleep apnea is in a class of its own; it is unlikely that this disorder will be confused with any other illness.
Sleep apnea is a dreaded sleep disorder, triggered by untreated snoring. It happens when the air passage narrows, causing major obstruction during normal breathing, especially during sleep.
The different types
There are three types of this condition: obstructive, central and mixed. Of these three types, obstructive sleep apnea is the most common, happening when there is a complete collapse or blockage in the upper respiratory tract.
What actually happens?
Breathing distress is caused mainly by lack of communication or coordination between the brain and the breathing muscles. The brain controls all muscular functions and it sends out timely signals to muscles responsible for breathing, regarding frequency and time of breathing.
For example, obstructive type of apnea happens when the recipient breathing muscles cannot implement the breathing signals sent out by the brain because of obstructions in the air passage. It t is an outcome of complete blockage and collapse of the upper respiratory tract.
The central type of this disorder is an outcome of total gap in coordination between the brain and breathing muscles. The brain in this case is incapable of sending out any signal - thus, there is no effort to breathe. This ailment is a result of heart and cerebrovascular ailments or any congenital disease.
Some health conditions are common triggers for this condition:
- Bulbar poliomyelitis
- Complications arising from cervical spine surgery
- Encephalitis involving the brainstem
- Neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson's disease
- Radiation of the cervical spine
Sleep apnea Symptoms: playing the hide-and-seek game
One of the reasons why this illness remains undiagnosed for a long time is because a majority of the features appear during sleep. Normally, the bed partner notices the gasps and choking during sleep, long pauses in between loud and persistent snoring, etc, and call for medical help. What the patient experiences include rapid and unexplained weight gain, excessive daytime sleepiness, depression and irritability, etc.
Typical signs of central type of this disorder are excessive daytime tiredness, morning headaches and restless sleep.
Diagnosis
It is done with the help of an overnight sleep test also known as polysomnogram examination. It is one of the most reliable and objective diagnostic tool that show the doctor: the nature of the illness, severity and site of obstruction in the air passage. The physical and physiological parameters studied during this overnight sleep study include eye, abdomen and limb movements; brain waves, heart rate, loudness of snoring; oxygen levels in the blood, etc.
Sleep apnea treatment: what are the options?
CPAP therapy along with simultaneous deployment of several lifestyle modifications and self-help strategies are considered to be the best options for managing mild to moderate conditions.
For patients who are dissatisfied with the use of the therapy, there are several equally effective CPAP alternatives including steroid nasal sprays; nasal decongestants containing oxymetazoline and neosynephrine; drugs like modanifil or armodanifil or using dental sleep apnea devices like mouth guards, etc .are also recommended.
Serious conditions however demand surgical intervention.
Some signs could be misleading
At times diagnostic confusion is created by overlapping signs that are common to several sleep disorders. For example, excessive daytime sleepiness is one of the leading signs of hypersomnia as well as narcolepsy.
If you probe a bit deeper, what is narcolepsy? It is a sleep disorder known for the sudden sleep attacks - typical of this illness and not seen in any other kind of sleep disorder. Then study the age of onset. For sleep apnea, the likely age is around 50 years; other illnesses usually set in much earlier. As far as cause of onset, central sleep apnea is in a class of its own; it is unlikely that this disorder will be confused with any other illness.
About the Author:
If you need more information about sleep apnea symptoms, then feel free to visit Douglas Kidder's site and find out all you need to know about obstructive sleep apnea.
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