Sleep apnea is a medical disorder where you repeatedly stop breathing throughout the night. The number of these pauses can range anywhere from 40-100+ times per night. When you stop breathing, you temporarily wake up to start breathing again. You won’t remember these arousals in the morning, but they will prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep.
There are three types of sleep apnea:
Over time, sleep deprivation caused by sleep apnea lead can to:
Physiological risk factors are both controllable, and noncontrollable. Here are primary physiological risk factors that may influence the development or severity of OSA.
Medical risk factors are medical (i.e., diseases, conditions) and biological factors (e.g., genes) that influence OSA development or severity. They include the following:
Though medical and physiological risk factors can play a large role in developing OSA, lifestyle factors also can spark the onset of OSA. Some lifestyle factors linked to OSA include:
Fortunately, unlike medical and physiological risk factors, which may require medical intervention such as CPAP therapy, lifestyle factors may treated on their own by making changes like:
Telltale symptoms of sleep apnea are [WebMD]:
Since you may be unaware that all of this is happening during the night, you may have to rely on your bed partner or a sleep recording to determine if you experience these symptoms.
The vast majority of people who suffer from sleep apnea treat it with CPAP therapy, which provides constant positive airway pressure (CPAP) using CPAP devices. Surgery is usually not needed.
For mild cases of sleep apnea, non-medical interventions may be recommended by your doctor.
If you live in Alaska and need to confirm a sleep apnea diagnosis, please contact us to get a sleep study (insurance coverage available).