Overview
Sleep apnea is a sleep-related breathing disorder where airflow is reduced or stops for short periods during sleep. The most common type is obstructive sleep apnea, which happens when the upper airway narrows or collapses. A less common type, central sleep apnea, involves a problem with the brain's control of breathing. Repeated breathing interruptions can lower sleep quality and affect overall health.
Key Symptoms
Common symptoms include loud snoring, pauses in breathing noticed by another person, choking or gasping during sleep, and restless sleep. During the day, people may have excessive sleepiness, trouble concentrating, irritability, dry mouth on waking, or morning headaches. Some people do not realize they have symptoms until a bed partner or family member notices them.
Causes and Risk Factors
Obstructive sleep apnea is linked to airway narrowing during sleep, while central sleep apnea is related to how breathing is controlled. Risk factors can include higher body weight, older age, a large neck size, nasal blockage, alcohol use, sedative medicines, smoking, and a family history of the condition. Certain medical conditions, including heart failure and some neurologic disorders, may increase the chance of central sleep apnea.
Who Is Affected
Sleep apnea can affect adults and children of any sex. It is more common in some groups, including people with obesity, older adults, and those with certain craniofacial features or enlarged tonsils. Children may also develop sleep apnea, often related to enlarged tonsils or adenoids.
Prevention
Not all cases can be prevented, but some steps may lower risk or reduce severity. These include maintaining a healthy weight, limiting alcohol, avoiding smoking, and discussing sedating medicines with a healthcare professional. Sleeping position changes may help some people, especially if breathing problems are worse when lying on the back.
Diagnosis and Tests
A healthcare professional may ask about snoring, daytime sleepiness, sleep habits, and related health conditions. Diagnosis often involves a sleep study, either at home or in a sleep laboratory, to measure breathing, oxygen levels, and sleep patterns. In some cases, additional evaluation by a sleep specialist, ear-nose-throat specialist, or other clinician may be needed.
Treatment Categories
Treatment depends on the type and severity of sleep apnea and on the person's overall health. Options may include weight management, changing sleep position, treatment of nasal blockage, a mouthpiece made by a dental professional, or positive airway pressure devices such as CPAP. Some people may be evaluated for surgery or other device-based treatments, especially when standard approaches are not effective or suitable.
Living With It
Untreated sleep apnea can affect daily functioning, mood, memory, and work or school performance. It may also increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and traffic or workplace accidents related to sleepiness. Regular follow-up can help address problems with treatment comfort, mask fit, or ongoing symptoms.
When to Seek Medical Care
Make a medical appointment if you or someone close to you notices loud habitual snoring, pauses in breathing during sleep, choking or gasping at night, or major daytime sleepiness. Seek care if sleep problems are affecting driving, work, school, mood, or concentration. Children who snore regularly, breathe through the mouth during sleep, or have behavior or learning changes should also be evaluated.
When It May Be an Emergency
Get urgent medical help if a person has severe trouble breathing, bluish lips or face, chest pain, new confusion, fainting, or is very hard to wake. These symptoms can have many causes, including serious breathing or heart problems, and need immediate assessment.