An estimated 30 million Americans have sleep apnea, yet only one-fifth of these cases are clinically diagnosed, according to the American Medical Association. For such a common condition, many people aren’t aware of sleep apnea symptoms and health impacts, including everything from snoring to fatigue.
Below, we’ll dive into some common questions about sleep apnea so you can identify the warning signs.
What is sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea is a medical condition that causes your breathing to stop and start continuously while sleeping. There are several risk factors for sleep apnea, including obesity, having a large tongue or tonsils, or having certain medical issues, like heart or lung diseases.
The disorder can negatively affect your quality of sleep, leading to less restful nights and daytime tiredness. If untreated, sleep apnea can pose serious health problems, potentially increasing your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and depression.
What are the symptoms of sleep apnea?
Since sleep apnea occurs while you’re sleeping, you might not even know you have it, but your partner may be able to point out some of the signs. Common sleep apnea symptoms include:
- Loud snoring: When your airway is blocked from sleep apnea, it’s harder for oxygen to get through. The reduced airflow can cause your throat tissue to vibrate, which results in snoring.
- Breathing that stops and starts while you’re asleep: Sleep apnea can cause your throat muscles to relax, which can then constrict your airway and stop your breathing momentarily.
- Gasping, choking or snorting: You may experience these symptoms as your body tries to correct your breathing during sleep.
- Feeling tired during the day: Because sleep apnea interrupts your sleep, you may wake up feeling tired or not well rested.
- Waking up with a dry mouth: Since it’s harder to breathe with sleep apnea, you may overcompensate by breathing with your mouth open, which can dry it out (known as xerostomia).
- Getting up frequently to use the bathroom at night: Some people with sleep apnea experience nocturia, which is a condition that causes you to wake up repeatedly during the night to urinate.
- Impaired focus: A lack of restorative sleep can impact your ability to concentrate in your day-to-day life.
- Irritability: Similarly, when you don’t get enough restful sleep, you may feel more irritable or frustrated during the day.
Types of sleep apnea
There are two different kinds of sleep apnea: obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea. While the symptoms are similar, the causes are different. Here’s how they compare.
Obstructive sleep apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea also restricts air from getting through your throat while you’re sleeping. It occurs when the soft tissue in your airway gets blocked during sleep and results in less airflow into your lungs and, in some cases, snoring, choking, or gasping. Like central sleep apnea, this disorder is more likely to occur in men and seniors.
There are a few causes of obstructive sleep apnea, with obesity being one of the most common. Other possible contributing factors include having a large or thick neck, heart failure, endocrine and metabolic disorders, smoking and a family history of sleep apnea.
Central sleep apnea
With central sleep apnea, your breathing stops, starts and becomes more shallow as you sleep. It’s triggered by a miscommunication between your brain and the muscles that you use to breathe and is less common than obstructive sleep apnea. According to the Sleep Foundation, the disorder is more prevalent in men and people over 65.
Central sleep apnea is usually caused by other medical conditions, which include heart failure, stroke and kidney failure. Ongoing prescription drug use and sleeping at a high altitude are other potential causes of this type of sleep apnea.
Health impacts of sleep apnea
From your heart to your liver, sleep apnea can have wide-ranging impacts that affect many parts of your body. These are some of the most common health issues associated with the disorder.
Cardiovascular issues
When your breathing stops during the night, your body releases stress hormones, which can eventually lead to coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, heart failure and cardiac arrhythmia. On top of that, sleep apnea negatively impacts your quality of sleep, which can have detrimental effects on your heart health as well.
Excessive fatigue
If you have sleep apnea, the constant stopping and starting of your breathing can make it difficult to get a restful night’s sleep. As a result, you may feel fatigued during the day. Being tired all of the time can trigger a host of other issues, like mood changes, depression, and concentration problems. It can also weaken your immune system and make it dangerous to drive.
