Taming Sleep Apnea

One of the unique things about my hubby is that he snores. I grew up with my father snoring so no problem. But I noticed there were times the breathing stopped when hubby was asleep only to be startled by a sputtering of choked air and then the snoring started again. Now, I’m so used to it that it doesn’t matter but when it is new, it can be frightening. Hubby explained that he has had sleep apnea since he was a kid.

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder where the person can stop breathing for brief pauses during the night. The pauses can affect the body’s supply of oxygen and ultimately a person’s quality of life because there may be a feeling of never getting enough sleep. And before you ask, hubby has a mild form of sleep apnea.

It is estimated that 22 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea with 80 percent of the cases of moderate and severe obstructive sleep apnea undiagnosed. There are three types of sleep apnea: obstructive, central, and mixed or complex (combination of the first two). According to the Sleep Foundation, obstructive sleep apnea, the most common form, is estimated to affect between 2 to 9 percent of adults in the United States. Central sleep apnea affects roughly .9 percent of adults over the age of 40.  

Obstructive sleep apnea describes a blockage to the airway caused when the tongue collapses against the soft palate causing the soft palate to collapse against the back of the throat. Meanwhile, in central sleep apnea the brain doesn’t signal the muscles to breathe. It is like the body goes into a sort of protection mode because when the apnea occurs, the brain does alert the sleeper so breathing can resume. This pattern can happen many times throughout the course of the night depending on how severe the condition is.

Symptoms include loud snoring, morning headache, gasping for air during sleep, the aforementioned periods of not breathing during sleep, excessive daytime drowsiness, and irritability. Despite this, a person can still be unaware he or she has the condition.

Still, some people are more vulnerable to this condition than others. Risk factors for obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea include thicker necks, excess weight, male, age, having a family history, nasal congestion, smoking, use of narcotic medication, and other medical conditions like diabetes and polycystic ovary syndrome.  

In order to diagnose you, your doctor may suggest that you participate in a sleep evaluation with a specialist. A PSG or polysomnogram is done at a sleep laboratory by a technologist who will record eye movement, heart rate, breathing patterns, air flow, and blood oxygen levels during sleep. Another option is a Home Sleep Test which can be done at home and records less body functions than a PSG test.  

Treatment options for sleep apnea are losing weight, sleeping on your side (not your back), avoiding alcohol and sedatives, nasal sprays and breathing strips. For those with obstructive sleep apnea, there is positive airway pressure therapy (PAP), particularly the CPAP device or the continuous positive airway pressure, which is the most common of the PAP devices. Other options are dental appliances or mandibular advancement devices, hypoglossal nerve stimulator and even surgery if necessary. Discuss these recommendations with your physician before committing to one.

Having sleep apnea can become very costly and dangerous. Left untreated, sleep apnea can possibly lead to other more serious conditions such as stroke, high blood pressure, arrhythmias, chronic heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases.

People with sleep apnea are more likely to have other issues such as complications with medicine and surgery (e.g. sleeping on your back), daytime fatigue (e.g. car accidents), metabolic syndrome and sleep-challenged partners/spouses.  

The best foods to indulge in that encourage a quality night’s rest are complex carbohydrates like brown rice, whole wheat, and other grains. And please feel free to include dark green leafy veggies for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.  

My hubby does sleep on his side frequently and his condition isn’t as bad as it once was. Sleep apnea is a serious condition. But it doesn’t have to define a person’s life with the right solution.

Do you suffer from sleep apnea or do you know someone who does? Put your response in the comments below.