Sleep contributes to maintaining sound physical health and brain function in you. This complex biological process is more than re-energizing or growing your body; it also helps prevent certain diseases. With this, having comfortable, uninterrupted sleep every night is a true gem. Nonetheless, you probably don’t experience it constantly. There are probably nights that you need to get up to urinate or drink a glass of water, and that’s normal. But if you are frequently waking up at night gasping for air or snoring, there could be a deeper problem, such as sleep apnea.
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a condition wherein certain factors cause your breathing to stop and repeatedly restart while sleeping. It comes in two basic types, though a third type can occur in some cases. First is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which is primarily caused by the state of your body. In this type of sleep apnea, the muscles in your throat relax inappropriately during sleep, causing the airway to be blocked. Commonly, it happens when your tongue falls backward. The second type is central sleep apnea (CSA), which has something to do with your brain failing to send the signals to the muscles controlling your breathing during sleep. The degree of these types can also vary, but when you are experiencing a combination of OSA and CSA, it could be a sign you have the third type of condition: complex sleep apnea syndrome.
Symptoms and Causes
Sleep apnea is not just about experiencing snoring while asleep or waking up in the middle of the night. Aside from gasping for air and restarting breathing, other symptoms can also appear, including daytime sleepiness and fatigue, headaches, dry mouth, and decreased libido.
Moreover, sleep apnea won’t only make you tired or cause your focus to falter, but it can also lead to more serious problems if not addressed after a long time. According to the , the difficult process of restarting your breathing while sleeping can damage your organs and blood vessels. This will increase your chance of acquiring worse health conditions, such as asthma, cancer, chronic kidney disease, eye problems, heart and blood vessel diseases, metabolic syndrome, pregnancy complications, and type 2 diabetes.
Moreover, more are experiencing sleep apnea than women, and according to an published on the National Library of Medicine website, 34% of men in the US are experiencing it, while only 17% of women have it. However, this doesn’t give women the advantage when it comes to this, as they can experience unique sleep apnea symptoms. So aside from the conventional symptoms mentioned above, the condition can also manifest in women through anxiety, , and insomnia.
The condition of a woman’s body can also result in sleep apnea. For instance, pregnant women are at high risk of sleep apnea due to the changes in their bodies. Even more, sleep apnea during pregnancy can lead to complications, such as gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, low birth weight, and preterm birth for babies. Older pregnant women are more prone to it, and it could get serious, especially third trimester of pregnancy, though it could improve after giving birth.
Additionally, sleep apnea can be experienced during or after menopause due to hormone changes. Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is also known to cause sleep apnea among the said sex.
Aside from sex, there are other causes of sleep apnea, such as lifestyle habits, older age, endocrine disorders, and unfavorable hormone levels (e.g., low levels of thyroid hormones or high growth hormone), genetics, health conditions (kidney problems, , stroke, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, nasal obstruction, and myasthenia gravis), large tonsils and tongues, obesity, premature birth, and opioid use. Interestingly, sleep apnea can also happen to you if you have recently been in places at altitudes greater than 6,000 feet. The good thing about this is that sleep apnea caused by this factor will disappear after weeks of exposure to such low-oxygen environments.
Remedy
While you might be experiencing one of the symptoms of sleep apnea, self-diagnosis is not ideal. It is always recommended to look for professional help to get the proper aid you need. After all, sleep apnea symptoms aren’t the only ones that need to be identified. An expert also needs to determine the exact type of sleep apnea you are experiencing and the right treatment for you.
When you visit a sleep specialist, expect to be questioned about the things mentioned above, including your lifestyle habits, family history, drug use, and more. You might also be required for a sleep diary and sleep study to diagnose the type of your sleep apnea properly and check the number of hypopneas (Apnea-Hypopnea Index or periods of shallow breathing) you are experiencing. If you are asked for other tests like blood tests and pelvic ultrasounds, it is common as your sleep apnea could also originate from other medical conditions.
One of the first recommendations that would be suggested to you is to improve your lifestyle habits by quitting smoking, drinking alcohol, or using drugs like opioids. You might also be asked to observe healthy sleeping habits, devote more time to doing exercises, and change your sleeping position (side instead of lying your back flat). If you’ve noticed, these basic remedies will address common sleep apnea causes that can still be changed through simple acts.
However, if your sleep apnea is caused by bigger problems, leading to OSA, CSA, or complex sleep apnea syndrome, it is time to test more serious solutions. First are the oral appliances or oral devices you must wear in your mouth when you are sleeping. The sleeping expert will endorse you to a dentist who will create a custom-fit oral appliance, so your upper airway remains open while you’re asleep. These devices can be in the form of mandibular repositioning mouthpieces (covers your upper and lower teeth and holds the jaw in a certain position to promote an open upper airway) or tongue retaining devices (holds your tongue). Apparently, they can be uncomfortable at first, but the consistency of use and proper adjustments with your dentist can make the experience better over time. Another type is the newly FDA-approved removable tongue muscle stimulation “” device, which you use while awake. It delivers electrical neuromuscular stimulation through a mouthpiece that sits around your tongue.
For severe sleep apnea that can’t be resolved by simple devices like those mentioned above (or even with orofacial myofunctional therapy to exercise different muscle functions), surgical options are possible, depending on your case. It could be jaw advancement surgery, adenotonsillectomy for removing your tonsils and adenoids, and more.
Before diving into such possibilities of surgeries, there are more comfortable options to try apart from oral devices. Commonly, those who suffer from sleep apnea are suggested to use breathing devices like continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or adjusting positive airway pressure (APAP) machines. Both have one main function: to provide air pressure to keep your airway open while sleeping. However, the two works differently, and they should be used depending on the severity of your sleep apnea and its type. This is why you need to consult a professional who will prescribe what kind will fit your case. In a nutshell, the only difference between CPAP and APAP is how they work. CPAP has a fixed setting, while the APAP automatically adjusts the air pressure depending on the user’s breathing activity. And while this main difference between the two machines is simple, the latter can’t be used just casually by anyone with sleep apnea.
CPAP / APAP Login For Checking Data
Any CPAP or APAP device will collect data related to your sleep and breathing. This allows the clinician and your doctor to adjust the CPAP / APAP machine to improve your breathing while you are sleeping and treat sleep Apnea. You can get the CPAP / APAP website login to access the collected data.
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure
CPAP is the more commonly used type of the two machines, and according to a , this therapy is “cost-effective compared to dental devices” for individuals experiencing moderate to severe OSA. Another also shows that CPAP improves the quality of life of individuals who are consistently treated with CPAP. And given that it is commonly prescribed and widely available (usually costs around $500 to $800), most insurance plans cover them.
The main challenge with CPAP is finding the right setting for you. Too much pressure and you’ll end up having difficulty exhaling air; too little pressure and you’ll find it unhelpful. And since it is not automatic, you need to find the right pressure for you in a trial-and-error manner, but professionals in a sleep study center will usually help you adjust it. Older models of CPAP also tend to be noisier, but you can get smaller and more advanced versions of the machine nowadays.
CPAP is recommended to be used by those who have OSA for a minimum of six hours each night with pure consistency to ensure efficacy. It works by taking air into the machine through a filter, properly humidifying it, pushing the air into the tube via a motor, and delivering it to the mask you are wearing. This constant stream of air pressurized to enter your nostrils and upper airway keeps your relaxed throat muscles and tissues open during sleep by serving as an air cushion. The air pressure also prevents the soft palate, tongue, and uvula from creating blockages. However, you might feel choking during the first few uses of the device since the air it is releasing will continuously blow even if you are exhaling, but that is normal. You can also try using the CPAP at a lower pressure, but make sure it is just at the right setting so the machine will still work for you.
Adjusting Positive Airway Pressure
An adjusting positive airway pressure or APAP machine is almost the same as the CPAP. You will also be suggested to use it for at least six hours and receive its humidified air through a mask. The components are also the same: machine, hose, and mask. Nonetheless, it is much more portable due to its smaller size and more comfortable since it produces less noise. However, the downside of this type of machine is the higher price and availability. It usually starts at $800, and securing one can be challenging. This also means there are fewer insurance plans dedicated to this rare device.
On a positive note, APAP saves you from the inconvenience of finding the right setting for you since it is automatically adjusting based on your breathing activities. It does it by measuring the pressure of your breath. Usually, APAP is recommended when CPAP fails to work on certain individuals. It could be from the complicated use of the CPAP setting or due to more complex sleep apnea needs.
And while it addresses temporary airway blockages like allergies and colds and is recommended for those with complex sleep apnea conditions, it has limitations when it comes to users who can use it. It includes those suffering from CSA, opioid-triggered apnea, COPD, obesity hypoventilation syndrome, and congestive heart failure.
Conclusion
Sleep apnea, while it sounds common to many of us, is a serious condition that needs to be addressed. It doesn’t just affect your day-to-day focus on your activities, but it can also lead to serious health problems. It could even be a sign of a more serious underlying health issue, making it an urgent need for you to resolve. Thankfully, you can explore many solutions to aid your sleep apnea, from oral appliances to therapies and lifestyle changes. Most of all, there are breathing machines you can opt for. But what should you get? Which is better, the APAP or CPAP?
There is no competition between the two breathing machines as they are dedicated to specific cases of sleep apnea. Also, the decision of what type of device to use will depend on the assessment of a sleep expert you will consult. Both also have pros, cons, and even limitations due to how they deliver the air to you. CPAP commonly works on most cases of sleep apnea despite the absence of an automatic adjustment feature, while APAP can guarantee better results in specific sleep apnea cases.
On the other hand, expect some challenges when using the machines. Aside from finding the right setting in CPAP and the limitations of the use of APAP, wearing their masks can truly be uncomfortable at first. This is why you should also try finding the most comfortable mask for you: the one that won’t leak the air while preventing irritations on your skin. Of course, other things will probably frustrate you during the first night of using the machines (noise, setup, tight mask straps, and more), but what are these minor inconveniences if you could sleep for eight-hour straight without gasping for air?