About Sleep Apnea

By Kevin on

Name of the medical condition and other names that it’s been known by

  • Sleep apnea

  • Sleep-disordered breathing

What is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a common condition that affects a person's breathing during sleep. The word, "apnea", comes from Greek and means "without breath”. With this disorder, breathing repeatedly stops and starts while a person is sleeping. These pauses in breathing can last from a few seconds to minutes and may occur 30 times or more in an hour. When this happens, the body doesn't get enough oxygen, leading to various health problems.

There are three main types of sleep apnea:

  • Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA): This is the most common type. It happens when the throat muscles relax too much during sleep, blocking the airway.

  • Central Sleep Apnea (CSA): This occurs when the brain doesn't send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing.

  • Complex Sleep Apnea Syndrome: This is a combination of both obstructive and central sleep apnea.

Common symptoms of sleep apnea include:

  • Loud snoring

  • Gasping for air during sleep

  • Waking up with a dry mouth

  • Morning headaches

  • Difficulty staying asleep

  • Excessive daytime sleepiness

  • Irritability

  • Difficulty concentrating

Sleep apnea can affect anyone, but it's more common in older adults, men, and people who are overweight. Other risk factors include having a large neck size, smoking, drinking alcohol, and having certain medical conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes. If left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to serious health problems such as:

  • High blood pressure

  • Heart disease

  • Stroke

  • Type 2 diabetes

  • Depression

  • Accidents due to daytime sleepiness

Doctors diagnose sleep apnea through sleep studies, which can be done at home or in a sleep lab. Treatment options include lifestyle changes (like losing weight or quitting smoking), using a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine, wearing dental devices, or in some cases, surgery.

Trend

  • In the United States, sleep apnea is a growing concern. According to recent estimates approximately 22 million Americans currently have it.

  • Over the last five years, the number of people diagnosed with sleep apnea has increased, with some estimates suggesting a rise of 14-55% from 2014 to 2019.

  • Projections for the next five years indicate that the number of people with sleep apnea is likely to continue growing, potentially reaching 26-28 million by 2029. This increase is partly due to rising obesity rates and an aging population.

History

Sleep apnea has likely affected people for centuries, but it wasn't officially described in medical literature until 1965. The term "Pickwickian syndrome" was used earlier to describe obese patients with extreme sleepiness, based on a character in Charles Dickens' novel "The Pickwick Papers." In the 1970s, doctors began to understand sleep apnea better and developed the first treatments. The CPAP machine, now a common treatment, was invented in 1980 by Australian doctor Colin Sullivan. Since then, awareness and understanding of sleep apnea have grown significantly, improving diagnosis and treatment options.

Sources of Information

For informational purposes only. Consult a medical professional for advice.


Replies (0)