Why You Having Sleep Apnea? Know Here

Do you stop breathing during sleep? Then you might be suffering from sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a potentially serious disorder. In this, during sleep, you repeatedly stop breathing for short periods of time. This can lead to heart problems and other complications. Up to 7 percent of the population suffers from this unusual condition, and it is more common in men.

How Do You Know If You Have Sleep Apnea?

People usually experience excessive tiredness even after a full night's sleep. Sleep apnea causes the upper airways to shut off and the oxygen supply gets cut. So you stop breathing during sleep. This makes the person wake up to resume the breathing. Constant sleep interruptions result in feelings of fatigue during the day. Those affected by sleep apnea snore, gasp and choke very audibly.

The three main warning signs, that you stop breathing during sleep are loud and persistent snoring, choking episodes during sleep, sleepiness during the day, which can be accompanied by a morning headache. Often, breathing pauses are observed by the person's sleeping partner. In severe cases, the sufferers can wake up hundreds of times per night and gasp for air. These are some sleep apnea symptoms.

Complete apnea means that the you stop breathing during sleep for a ten-second period. During partial apnea, ventilation is briefly reduced by at least 50 percent. Due to poor quality of sleep, people can experience difficulty concentrating, moodiness and irritability. Breathing interruptions also influence hormone function. When sleep apnea is extreme, a hormone that controls urine production in the kidneys gets affected and people start waking up at night to go to the toilet. This frequent desperate need to urinate during the night is called nocturia.

You don't necessarily suffer from sleep apnea if you snore. Not every snorer has difficulty breathing. But, most people with apnea snore and this is the most common sign of the condition.

Risk Factors
Why do i stop breathing at night sleep? Everyone can get affected, regardless of age, gender or race. However, certain factors might put you at greater risk of developing the condition.

Increased Body Weight
Obesity is an important risk factor. Fat deposits around the neck can disrupt breathing and put extra pressure on the airways. However slim people can also be under threat, so not everyone with this condition is overweight.

Neck Circumference
People with thicker necks seem to have more susceptibility for sleep apnea. This could be due to having narrower airways. Neck circumference of more than 48 centimeters means a high risk, while a measurement of below 37 centimeters means a low risk for sleep apnea.

Certain characteristics and abnormalities that narrow the airways

Why do i stop breathing at night sleep? If you have a narrower throat or have some abnormalities that can make breathing harder such as enlarged tonsils, deformities of the nose. Also, if you have difficulty breathing through your nose, you may develop sleep apnea. This can be due to allergies or for anatomical reasons. People with sleep apnea tend to breathe through their mouth and sleep with their mouths open. Consequently, they wake up with dry mouth and gummy front teeth.

Being Male
Is it normal to stop breathing during sleep? Is is not a normal sign if you stop breathing during night. Men have a greater risk of developing sleep apnea. They are twice as likely to suffer from it compared to women. Women increase their risk after menopause, and if they have other risk factors, such as being overweight.

Being Over 60
Sleep apnea gets more common as people get older.

Family History
If you have a relative with sleep apnea, you will have a risk to develop sleep apnea. This might be due to the anatomical (body structure of organisms and their parts) characteristics that run in the family.

Use Of Alcohol And Certain Drugs
If you drink alcohol or take sedatives or tranquilizers before going to bed, this can increase your chances of having breathing problems. These substances relax the muscles in your throat. This can inhibit breathing. They also inhibit the breathing center in your brain.

SmokingSmoking can increase the amount of phlegm (mucous) and fluids in your lungs and airways and make breathing more difficult. Smokers are three times more likely to suffer than non-smokers. If you quit smoking, the risk reduces. If you suspect that you might have sleep apnea, you should go and see your doctor, so that the condition can be investigated and treated. Sleep apnea has been linked to some serious conditions, such as heart failure, stroke and metabolic disorders, so it needs to be properly looked at.

Diagnosis
For diagnosing, a set of investigations is performed on the patient while he or she sleeps. The examination is known as polysomnography and involves various recordings of the person's brain activity, eye movements and muscle movements.

Apnea Treatment
If the most likely cause of the condition is the person's lifestyle, this needs to be addressed first. Weight loss and smoking cessation should be done. Also, alcohol should be avoided before going to bed.

Treatment options include the use of a pneumatic splint (continuous positive airway pressure), surgery and intra-oral devices. A nasal or facial oxygen mask is worn overnight that keeps the airways open. It makes the person breathe through the nose rather than through the mouth.

Most people require life-long therapy if the severity of the condition impacts on their daily activities and reduces the quality of life.