What is Sleep apnea?

What is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea or apnoea is a sleep disorder characterized by interruptions in breathing or periods of shallow breathing during sleep that occur more frequently than usual. Each pause can last from a few seconds to a few minutes, and they occur several times during the night. In the most common form, it is followed by loud snoring. There may be a suffocating or sniffling sound when breathing resumes. Because the disorder disrupts normal sleep, affected people may experience sleepiness or feel tired during the day. In children, it can cause hyperactivity or problems at school.

Sleep apnea can be either obstructive sleep apnea/apnoea (OSA), in which breathing is interrupted by a blockage of airflow, or central sleep apnea/apnoea (CSA), in which regular unconscious breathing simply stops, or a combination of both. OSA is the most common form. There are four major contributors to OSA; these include “anatomical compromises” such as a narrow, congested, or constricted upper airway. such as ineffective pharyngeal dilator muscle function during sleep, narrowing of the airway during sleep, or unstable control of breathing (high loop gain). Other risk factors include being overweight, having a family history of the condition, allergies, and enlarged tonsils. Some people with sleep apnea are unaware that they have the condition. In many cases, it is first noticed by a partner or family member. Sleep apnea or apnoea is often diagnosed only in an overnight sleep study. For sleep apnea or apnea to be diagnosed, there must be more than five episodes per hour.

In central sleep apnea/apnoea (CSA), the basic neurological control and breathing signals fail to malfunction, causing the person to miss one or more cycles of breathing. If the pause in breathing is long enough, the percentage of oxygen in the circulation will drop below normal levels (hypoxia) and the concentration of carbon dioxide will exceed normal levels (hypercapnia). In turn, these conditions of hypoxia and hypercapnia can have additional effects on the body. Brain cells require constant oxygen to survive, and if blood oxygen levels remain low enough, brain damage and even death will result. Sleep apnea (APNEA) is not a very deadly condition, often a chronic condition that causes much milder effects than sudden death. The exact impact of the condition will depend on how severe the apnea is and on the individual characteristics of the person with apnea.

Treatment includes lifestyle changes, mouthpieces, breathing devices, and surgery. Effective lifestyle changes must include avoiding alcohol, losing weight, stopping smoking, and sleeping on one side. uses breathing devices like a CPAP or BiPAP machine. With proper use, CPAP improves results. Evidence suggests that CPAP may improve sensitivity to insulin, blood pressure, and sleep. However, long-term compliance is a problem, with more than half of the population not using the device appropriately. In 2017, only 15% of prospective patients in developed countries used CPAP machines, while in developing countries, less than 1% of prospective patients used CPAP. Without treatment, sleep apnea can lead to an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes, heart failure, irregular heartbeat, obesity, and motor vehicle collisions.

Alzheimer’s disease and severe obstructive sleep apnea are linked because of an increase in the protein beta-amyloid as well as white matter damage. These are the main indicators of Alzheimer’s, which in this case comes from a lack of proper rest or poor sleep ability, resulting in neurodegeneration. Having sleep apnea or apnoea in mid-life makes you more likely to develop Alzheimer’s at an older age, and if someone has Alzheimer’s, sleep apnea or apnoea is also more likely. This is demonstrated by cases of sleep apnea or apnoea, even misdiagnosed as dementia. With the use of treatment via CPAP, there is a reversible risk factor in terms of amyloid protein.

OSA is a common sleep disorder. A large 2019 analysis of the estimated prevalence of OSA found that OSA affects 936 million–1 billion people between the ages of 30 and 69 globally, or about 1 in 10 people and up to 30% of the elderly. effects. Sleep apnea is somewhat more common in men than in women, with a ratio of about 2:1 for men to women, and in general, more people are more likely to have it with older age and obesity.