Sleep apnea is diagnosed if a person has episodes of stopping breathing for more than 10 seconds. Isolated cases of short-term nocturnal cessations of breathing are not a pathology. With an increase in the number of sleep apnea up to 5 or more times per hour, they talk about the development of the disease. Depending on the severity of the disease, such breath holdings can be recorded from ten to hundreds within an hour.

The risk of developing sleep apnea syndrome

Sleep apnea develops when respiratory function is impaired due to complete (apnea) or partial ( hypopnea ) narrowing of the airways during sleep, occurring at the level of the pharynx. As a result, pulmonary ventilation stops while maintaining respiratory efforts and characteristic snoring appears.

Over time, numerous and prolonged pauses in breathing can affect the psychological and physical state of a person. The most common consequences of sleep apnea are disturbances in the quality and normal physiology of nocturnal sleep.

The main danger of sleep apnea is hypoxia. At the moment of respiratory arrest, the level of oxygen necessary to nourish the brain drops sharply to a minimum. Oxygen deficiency is manifested in the blue of the skin. A person suffering from bouts of respiratory arrest during a night’s sleep cannot fully rest, because he often wakes up, inhaling oxygen to restore impaired breathing and stop asphyxia.

The lack of timely diagnosis and adequate treatment of sleep apnea attacks can lead to the development of serious pathologies. Sleep apnea syndrome causes:

• chronic sleep deprivation and daytime sleepiness;
• decrease in brain activity and concentration during the day;
• constant stress and irritability;
• disorders in the work of the organs of the cardiac system;
• vascular diseases;
• high blood pressure (especially in the morning);
• ischemia;
• atherosclerosis;
• stroke
• lung pathologies.

In infants and children under 2 years of age, sudden death can occur due to sleep apnea. The risk group also includes people over 50 years of age.

Close people who are close to a person suffering from sleep apnea during the night suffer greatly from the side effect of the disease – snoring. As a result, they may also develop some of these disorders. Therefore, it is so important to know what sleep apnea is and what are the methods of treatment and prevention of the disease.

Types and severity of the pathology

In medical practice, it is customary to distinguish between the following types of respiratory arrest during sleep:

1. The central type is associated with a malfunction of the central nervous system, as a result of which the respiratory muscles that control breathing do not receive a signal from the brain.
2. The obstructive type, or obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), develops with a critical narrowing of the respiratory (respiratory) tract. In this case, the muscle tissues of the pharynx are greatly relaxed, as a result of which the air flow stops.
3. Mixed (complex) type, determined by a combination of the mechanisms of central and obstructive types of sleep apnea.

The severity of the course of the disease can be determined by the number of periods of cessation of breathing:

1. There is no pathology if no more than 5 stops of breathing or 15 apnea- hypopnea are observed within an hour .
2. A mild degree of sleep apnea syndrome is determined by registering up to 15 stops of breathing per hour or up to 30 apnea- hypopnea .
3. The average degree is diagnosed if there are up to 30 apneas per hour or up to 60 apneas- hypopneas .
4. A severe degree of pathology occurs when there are more than 30 apneas per hour or more than 60 apnea- hypneas .

An important role in the effective treatment of the disease is played by the timely diagnosis of apnea. Based on the results of the research, the type of disease is determined and a treatment regimen is prescribed.

Reasons for the development of the disease

The main cause of the development of a condition defined as sleep apnea is a violation or difficulty in the airway, as a result of which almost no air enters the lungs.

There are the following causes of sleep apnea that provoke the development of the disease:

• Overweight (obesity). The disease is especially common among people with localized fat mass in the neck.
• The presence of concomitant diseases (diabetes mellitus, neurological pathologies).
• hereditary predisposition.
• Abnormal airway and other structural features (deviated nasal septum, enlarged tongue or tonsils, small lower jaw).
• The presence of bad habits (drinking alcohol or drugs, smoking).
• Uncomfortable posture during sleep.
• Changes associated with age (decrease in overall muscle tone).
• Hormonal changes during menopause.
• Inflammatory diseases of the respiratory tract or nasal congestion.
• The use of certain medications (sedatives).

Important: men are 2 times more likely than women to suffer from breathing disorders during sleep due to the anatomical features of the structure of the throat and the distribution of fat.

Symptoms

It is difficult for a person to determine the disease himself, especially if he is alone during sleep. A clear sign of sleep apnea is the characteristic snoring that occurs when the sleeper restores disturbed breathing. This sound is caused by the vibrations of the walls of the airways.

With further progression of sleep apnea, symptoms appear much more. The clinical picture of the disease is becoming more pronounced, the appearance of:

• arterial hypertension;
• feeling of dryness in the throat after waking up in the morning;
• feelings of suffocation (asphyxia) during sleep;
• daytime sleepiness;
• restless, superficial sleep;
• frequent awakenings;
• headaches in the morning;
• nocturnal arrhythmia or blockade;
• excessive sweating at night;
• nighttime heartburn or belching;
• impotence;
• infertility;
• a sharp increase in body weight or the inability to maintain it for a long time;
• signs of diabetes or increased blood sugar levels;
• angina pectoris or arrhythmias;
• morning stroke or heart attack;
• frequent nighttime urination.

Violation of full and deep sleep can provoke the development of various neurophysiological disorders. A person feels constant weakness and deterioration of memory. Efficiency and concentration are reduced, irritability and anxiety may appear.

Important! If there are obvious symptoms of sleep apnea, which indicates oxygen deficiency due to breath holding, then the load on the organs of the cardiovascular system increases significantly and serious hormonal disorders can develop.

Treatment of pathology

If the first signs or characteristic diseases occur, it is impossible to delay the treatment of sleep apnea, since with the progression of the disease, the quality of life of a person sharply decreases. In such a situation, you should immediately contact a somnologist.

Mild sleep apnea treatment

For each type of sleep apnea, a specific therapeutic method is used. It depends on the cause that caused the disease, and is aimed at eliminating it. The first thing to do in order to get rid of an unpleasant disease is to change your usual lifestyle to a healthy one:

• give up smoking and alcohol;
• follow a low-carb and high-protein diet;
• perform daily gymnastics (regular physical activity, aerobics, swimming);
• change the sleeping position to the correct one, for example, you need to sleep on your side, if breathing stops are observed only when you are lying on your back.

Patients with a large body weight are prescribed a treatment that normalizes weight. Often a weight loss of 5–10 kg relieves a person of sleep apnea.

By changing your lifestyle and following simple rules, a person can get rid of mild sleep apnea.

Therapy for severe disease

In a severe form of the disease, when sleep apnea is more pronounced, the above measures must be combined with traditional medicine methods.

Consider the most common treatments for sleep apnea.

Surgical intervention

The operation is performed in order to increase the lumen of the respiratory tract and eliminate obstructions to the flow of air. Surgery is effective only in the obstructive type of respiratory arrest. With central apnea, the surgical method is not used due to inappropriateness.

Enlarged tonsils, adenoids, polyps and neoplasms are removed surgically. A deviated nasal septum and other developmental anomalies are also normalized through surgery. As a result, a person gets the opportunity to breathe fully.

Important: you need to take into account the presence of contraindications for the use of a surgical operation (for example, obesity) and possible risks for the patient.

Medical therapy

Apnea, which develops due to the presence of neurological diseases, is treated with medications. Respiratory stimulants such as Theophylline and Acetazolamide are prescribed . With the central type of apnea, drugs are used to correct the work of the heart and lungs, for example, Diacarb.

Obstructive sleep apnea does not respond well to medical treatment.

Radio wave method

Helps to reconfigure the airways and strengthen flabby palate. The treatment is carried out under local anesthesia. The method is highly effective and has a short rehabilitation period.

Laser and liquid nitrogen correction

Such a correction is also quite effective in combating apnea, but healing takes longer than with the radio wave method.

CPAP therapy

The method of treatment is the use of a mask, which is connected to a special apparatus that creates pressure. The mask is put on the patient before falling asleep. The pressure created by the device is selected individually for each person and allows you to fully breathe during sleep.

Other Methods

There are other methods of treating the disease (special pillows for sleeping on the side, jaw fixators, adhesive strips to increase the gaps in the nasal passages). Such methods are used as an addition to the main treatment regimen prescribed by the doctor.

Prevention measures

To prevent the development of sleep apnea, factors that influence its occurrence should be avoided. A number of simple rules must be observed:

• be regularly examined and promptly treat somatic diseases (diseases of the lungs, heart, brain);
• constantly monitor the level of sugar and thyroid hormones in the blood;
• systematically measure blood pressure;
• give up smoking and alcohol;
• try to avoid stressful situations and overexertion;
• observe the correct diet and diet;
• monitor weight and prevent its increase;
• support physical activity (swimming, aerobics, gymnastics, cycling and walking);
• use a hard mattress and a low pillow during sleep;
• sleep lying on your stomach;
• Before going to bed, it is very useful to lie in a soothing bath or take a massage.

Lack of full and deep sleep can lead to serious health problems. Timely diagnosis of sleep apnea is the key to effectively getting rid of an unpleasant ailment, and compliance with preventive measures will help prevent the development of the disease.