| What
is it?
Obstructive sleep apnea, or
OSA, is a sleep related breathing
disorder that causes your body
to stop breathing during sleep.
OSA occurs when the tissue in
the back of the throat collapses
and blocks the airway. This
keeps air from getting in to
the lungs. This is a very common
sleep disorder.
It happens because the muscles
inside the throat relax as you
sleep. Gravity then causes the
tongue to fall back and block
the airway. Blockage of the
airway can happen a few times
a night or several hundred times
per night.
Who gets it?
IOSA can occur in men and women
of any age, but it is most common
in obese, middle-aged men.
There is a strong relationship
between weight and OSA. Your
neck gets thicker as you gain
weight. This increases the level
of fat in the back of the throat,
narrowing the airway. With more
fat in the throat, your airway
is more likely to be blocked.
People with OSA are often obese
and have a neck size of more
than 17 inches. Many people
with OSA also have high blood
pressure.
Children with large tonsils
may also have OSA.
How do I know if I
have it?
- Do you experience any of
these problems?
- Unintentionally falling
asleep during the day
- General daytime sleepiness
- Unrefreshing sleep
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
- Do you ever wake from sleep
with a choking sound or gasping
for breath?
- Has your bed partner noticed
that you snore loudly or stop
breathing while you sleep?
If your answer to each of these
questions is yes, then you might
have obstructive sleep apnea.
Almost all people with OSA
snore loudly, and about half
of the people who snore loudly
have OSA. Snoring is a sign
that your airway is being partially
blocked. While you may not think
you snore, ask the person who
sleeps next to you. He or she
can tell how often you snore
and whether or not you stop
breathing.
Many people with OSA are sleepy
during the day. They find that
they are still tired even after
a nap. When you stop breathing,
your body wakes up. It happens
so quickly, you aren’t
even aware of it. This disrupts
your sleep process. You can
stop breathing hundreds of times
in one night. This will make
you feel very tired the next
day.
Do I need to see a
sleep specialist?
Yes. This is a serious disorder
that needs to be treated. Sleep
specialists have training and
expertise in this area. They
will review your history and
symptoms. If needed, they will
schedule you for an overnight
sleep study. This kind of study
is called a polysomnogram. The
sleep study will help them evaluate
your problem. Then they can
put together an individual treatment
plan just for you.
It is also important to know
if there is something else that
is causing your sleep problems.
A sleep specialist can look
for other conditions that may
mimic or make the symptoms of
OSA worse, such as:
- Another sleep disorder
- A medical condition
- Medication use
- A mental health disorder
- Substance abuse
What will the doctor
need to know?
The doctor will need to know
your symptoms and how long you
have had them. He or she will
also want to know if your symptoms
began when you gained weight
or stopped exercising. Get information
from those who sleep with you
or have seen you sleep. This
includes spouses, relatives,
friends, teammates, and roommates.
You will also need to provide
a complete medical history.
- Keep a sleep diary for two
weeks. Information you should
write down includes the following:
- What time you went to bed
each night
- What time you got up in
the morning
- How many times you woke
up during the night
- Whether you felt rested
when you woke up
- If you took naps during
the day
- Whether you felt sleepy
or rested throughout the day
The sleep diary will help the
doctor see your sleeping patterns.
The sleep diary information
gives the doctor clues about
what is causing your problem
and how to correct it.
Will I need to take
any tests?
If your doctor thinks that
you have a problem with breathing
during sleep, then he or she
will have you do an overnight
sleep study. This study is called
a polysomnogram. It will chart
your brain waves, heart beat,
and breathing as you sleep.
It will also record how your
arms and legs move. This will
reveal if you have OSA. It will
also show how bad the problem
is.
If you have OSA, you may be
asked to return to the sleep
center for a second polysomnogram.
This time, you will be given
continuous positive airway pressure
(CPAP) treatment as you sleep.
This is called a CPAP study.
How is it treated?
Continuous positive airway
pressure (CPAP) is the treatment
most often used to treat OSA.
It is delivered through a mask
worn over the nose or face.
The air gently blows into the
back of the throat. This keeps
the airway open so you are able
to keep breathing as you sleep.
The amount of air pressure needed
is different for each person.
A CPAP study will show what
level is right for you.
Weight loss is very important
as this decreases the amount
of obstruction in the throat.
Often a significant amount of
weight loss is enough to stop
the symptoms.
Position therapy may work for
patients with mild OSA. Staying
off of the back while sleeping
and raising the head of the
bed may reduce symptoms.
You can also sleep with an
oral appliance in your mouth.
This device is much like a sports
mouth guard and is used to move
the jaw forward. This causes
the airway to stay open.
Surgery is another option that
may help an OSA patient. The
size of the upper airway is
increased to prevent collapse
of the airway and make breathing
easier.
Several other treatments may
be successful. You will need
to see a physician to discuss
these other options.
Information taken from
the American Academy of Sleep
Medicine web site: www.sleepeducation.com
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