sleep apnea
how it works
Sleep apnea is a sleeping problem that
Apnea (“no breathing”) is when your throat is blocked so air can’t get to your lungs.
causes you to stop breathing for short periods (as many as 100 or more times per hour). It can be a serious problem if not treated. It is more common in men than women. You are most likely to have sleep apnea if you: snore loudly are overweight
How do I know if I have sleep apnea? The main signs of sleep apnea are snoring and being sleepy during the day. You do not get restful sleep. This may cause you to have health problems like:
You may stop breathing for periods of 10 seconds to more than a minute. In between these periods, you may also: snore
gasp
depression
heart attack
snort
make choking sounds
insomnia
stroke
high blood pressure
There are 4 types of sleep apnea:
have high blood pressure have a physical problem in your nose, throat or airway air flow
Other signs are:
obstructive Your throat muscles and tongue relax during breathing and block your airway. This is the most common type of sleep apnea.
tongue throat muscles
air flow
throat throat muscles
Breathing normally If you have sleep apnea, you may not know it. Though your breathing pauses wake you many times during the night, you most often don’t remember. A bed partner is often the first one to notice the problem.
throat
Breathing during (obstructive) sleep apnea
©2019 Pritchett & Hull Associates, Inc.
obesity
tongue
morning headaches
central Your brain does not signal the chest muscles and diaphragm to move so that you breathe. This type of apnea is more common in people with disorders of the muscles and/or nerves or with certain heart problems.
mixed You have a combination of obstructive and central sleep apneas.
complex You have central apnea that is discovered once you have been treated (usually with a breathing machine) for obstructive apnea.
falling asleep while driving loss of interest in sex or loss of sex function memory problems restless sleep can’t concentrate b eing irritable or anxious
Snoring People with sleep apnea often snore very loudly. But not everyone who snores has sleep apnea. If you snore, then stop breathing and make snorting, gasping or choking sounds, you may have sleep apnea. Find out what your snoring patterns are. Ask your bed partner to watch you and take notes. If you do not have a bed partner, you may want to set up a video camera or tape recorder to record yourself. Write down your patterns.
Snoring is annoying These may help quiet your snoring: Sleep on your side. Sleeping on your back may increase snoring. Sew a pocket or pin a sock on the back of your pajama shirt, and put a tennis ball in it. This will keep you from rolling onto your back. Clear your nose. Allergies and colds can block your nose and increase snoring and sleep apnea. Ask your doctor about using nasal sprays. Avoid alcohol, tobacco and sleeping pills. These cause more pauses in your breathing, and the pauses can last longer. Lose weight (if you are overweight). Exercise regularly (30 minutes, most days of the week).
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Snoring may not be a problem for you. But it can be a problem for a bed partner. If you have a partner, he or she can use earplugs to help drown out the noise. Ask your doctor about other ways to help with snoring.
how to prevent sleep apnea and snoring
a positive air
Treatment Treatment for sleep apnea depends on what type of apnea you have and how serious it is. You may need to have a sleep study. Based on what is found from your sleep study, your doctor will prescribe treatment for you. This can be: an oral device worn in the mouth to change the position of your tongue and jaw (must be fitted by a dentist with special training). Many of these devices only treat snoring, not apnea.
pressure device that feeds air into your airway to help keep it open.
surgery to increase the size of your airway or change the size of the tongue or tissue in your mouth. lifestyle changes like losing weight, avoiding alcohol and exercising regularly. nerve stimulation which looks and acts like a pacemaker for your tongue. It gives a mild ‘jolt’ to your tongue and airway muscles keeping your airway open. ©2019 Pritchett & Hull Associates, Inc.
Air pressure devices An air pressure device has a soft, plastic mask that you wear over your nose or in your mouth. Wearing this mask may feel odd at first, but most people get used to it over time. There are a number of types of air pressure devices. The most common one is CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure). It has an air blower that pushes air through your nasal passages. This keeps your airway open so you do not stop breathing or snore while you sleep. Product # 251B