Apnea Management Services

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive Sleep apnea is the most commonly seen and most widely-recognized sleep disorder. It is characterized by periods of breathing cessation during sleep that can last from a few seconds to more than a minute. These pauses in breathing are most often related to an obstructed upper airway. The obstruction causes a person to be unable to inspire and expire (no air exchange). A person who has untreated sleep apnea may not be aware of the signs of the disorder, but it can be readily recognized by others. If you suspect you have sleep apnea complete our Tired-Test questionnaire.

The signal that most often gets people to see their physician and to be referred to a sleep clinic for a sleep study are the periods of loud snoring and gasping for air during sleep, followed by periods of silence (apnea). A spouse or a bed partner will likely be the first one to notice these frightening periods of silence (no breathing) and will encourage patients to seek help. The patient with sleep apnea habitually snores so loudly that it disturbs others in the household. Please go to sleepmanagementcenters.com for more information on sleep disorders testing.

Persons with untreated sleep apnea will complain of extreme sleepiness during the day, even though they may be spending long periods in bed. Although the person with sleep apnea may think that he or she is getting adequate sleep, the quality of sleep is the determining factor in waking up refreshed the next morning. Persons with sleep apnea have poor sleep quality because they arouse throughout the sleep period in order to breathe (“catch their breath”). Regardless of the amount of sleep they get, most patients with obstructive sleep apnea complain of waking up feeling unrefreshed.

Other symptoms that accompany untreated sleep apnea are waking up with headaches or a dry mouth in the mornings, choking during sleep, frequent moving or thrashing about in the bed, and waking up with bluish or a purplish skin discoloration due to decreased oxygen in the blood from periods of apnea. Patients also have trouble concentrating and become forgetful. There are notable changes in mood and behavior as the symptoms of sleep apnea worsen. Excessive sleepiness is the most conspicuous symptom of sleep apnea. A person with untreated sleep apnea will fall asleep at inappropriate times, even while driving a car, sitting at a red light, talking on the phone or while engaged in most sedentary activities.

There are other medical problems that accompany untreated obstructive sleep apnea, such as high blood pressure that is difficult to control with medication and several cardiac problems that can be augmented by untreated sleep apnea. Diabetes and Insulin resistance are directly associated with oxygen desaturations that accompany obstructive sleep apnea. Enlarged tonsils and adenoids are often the culprits that cause sleep apnea in children, but in adults, it can be augmented by obesity and the anatomy of the upper airway. Regardless of the cause of obstructive sleep apnea, when it is not treated properly, it can be deadly. Fortunately there are several treatment options that in most cases effectively “cure” the patient of sleep apnea when used properly.