Sleep apnea is a disorder that causes a momentary pause in breathing or very shallow breathing during sleep, resulting in snoring and a little relaxing rest that does not allow you to recover your energy. Thus, in addition to drowsiness during the day, this disease causes symptoms such as difficulty concentrating, headache, irritability and even impotence.
Sleep apnea occurs due to the obstruction of the airways due to the dysregulation of the pharyngeal muscles. In addition, there are lifestyle habits that increase the risk of developing obstructive sleep apnea, such as being overweight, drinking alcohol, smoking and using sleeping pills.
This sleep disorder should be treated by improving life habits and using an oxygen mask that pushes air into the airways and facilitates breathing.
How to identify
To identify obstructive sleep apnea, the following symptoms should be noted:
- Snoring during sleep; Waking up several times at night, even for a few seconds and imperceptibly; Breathing or suffocating during sleep; Excessive sleep and tiredness during the day; Waking up to urinate or lose urine during sleep; Have a headache in the morning; Decrease performance in studies or work; Have changes in concentration and memory; Develop irritability and depression; Have sexual impotence.
This disease happens due to a narrowing in the respiratory tracts, in the nose and throat region, which happens, mainly, by a dysregulation in the activity of the muscles of the throat region called pharynx, which can be excessively relaxed or narrowed during breathing. Treatment is done by a pulmonologist, who may recommend a device called CPAP or, in some cases, surgery.
It is more common in people over 50 years of age, and the amount and intensity of symptoms varies according to the severity of the apnea, which is influenced by factors such as overweight and the anatomy of the person's airways, for example.
See also other diseases that cause excessive sleep and tiredness.
How to confirm the diagnosis
The definitive diagnosis of sleep apnea syndrome is made with polysomnography, which is an exam that analyzes the quality of sleep, measuring brain waves, the movements of the breathing muscles, the amount of air entering and leaving during breathing, in addition to the amount of oxygen in the blood. This test serves to identify both apnea and other diseases that interfere with sleep. Learn more about how polysomnography is performed.
In addition, the doctor will make an assessment of the patient's medical history and physical examination of the lungs, face, throat and neck, which may also help to differentiate between the types of apnea.
Types of sleep apnea
There are 3 main types of sleep apnea, which can be:
- Obstructive sleep apnea: it happens in most cases, due to airway obstruction, caused by the relaxation of the breathing muscles, narrowing and changes in the anatomy of the neck, nose or jaw. Central sleep apnea: usually happens after some disease that causes brain damage and changes its ability to regulate respiratory effort during sleep, as in cases of brain tumor, post-stroke or degenerative brain diseases, for example; Mixed apnea: it is caused by the presence of both obstructive and central apnea, being the rarest type.
There are also cases of temporary apnea, which can happen in people with inflammation of the tonsils, tumor or polyps in the region, for example, which can hinder the passage of air during breathing.
How to treat
To treat sleep apnea, there are a few alternatives:
- CPAP: it is a device, similar to an oxygen mask, that pushes air into the airways and facilitates breathing and improves the quality of sleep. It is the main treatment for sleep apnea. Surgery: performed on patients who do not improve with CPAP, which can be a way of curing apnea, correcting the narrowing or obstruction of air in the airways, correcting jaw deformities or placing implants. Correction of life habits: it is important to leave habits that may be worsening or triggering sleep apnea, such as smoking or ingesting substances that cause sedation, in addition to losing weight.
The signs of improvement may take a few weeks to be noticed, but you can already see a decrease in tiredness throughout the day due to more restorative sleep. Find out more details about treatment for sleep apnea.
