Sleep apnea is a relatively common and possibly fatal sleep disorder in which an individual’s breathing involuntarily stops and starts repeatedly during sleep. There are three main types of this syndrome, mainly the Central Sleep Apnea (CSA), Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), and mixed sleep apnea (it is both central and obstructive). In Central sleep apnea, the brain does not send right signals to the muscles that regulate breathing while in obstructive sleep apnea, there is some obstruction in the upper airway causing difficulty in breathing. Obstructive sleep apnea is more common than the Central Sleep Apnea.
The characteristic symptoms of sleep apnea are loud snoring, morning headache, restless sleep, daytime sleepiness, high blood pressure, and nighttime sweating. You should visit a sleep apnea center if you see any of the mentioned signs and symptoms.
Obstructive sleep apnea is commonly caused by obesity. What happens is that during sleep, the muscles of the throat and tongue are more relaxed, which causes the soft ‘fat’ tissues to construct or block the airways.
A couple of treatments are available for obstructive sleep apnea in sleep apnea center. One of them involves using a device that applies positive pressure to keep your airway open during sleep, known as Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). In the other one, the lower jaw is thrust forward by a mouthpiece to clear the blocked airway. In some severe cases, surgery is the only option that you can schedule at any sleep apnea center.
Experts at sleep apnea centers recommend that you opt for healthy lifestyle habits to fix this disorder like maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, changing sleeping positions, using a humidifier, and avoiding alcohol and smoking.
Evidence suggests that long-term sleep-disordered breathing can have significant health consequences. It may result in hypertension, diabetes, and heart problems if left untreated sleep apnea can be fatal.