On its own, sleep apnea is not fatal. However, its effects could be. Imagine driving and working constantly sleepy. Imagine the potential consequences. You may have tried it once or twice, and swore never to do it again. People suffering from sleep apnea go through this every day.

The most difficult aspect of sleep disorders is not the cure, but the diagnosis. The symptoms appear when the individual is asleep. Due to this, they cannot detect the symptoms on their own. The individual’s friends and family should be able to notice if something is wrong.

Sleep Apnea Defined

Sleep apnea is characterized by pauses in breathing while sleeping. Each pause is called an apnea. The rhythm of breathing is disrupted, and a few breathes are missed during sleep. The individual is unaware of this occurrence, and it is usually the partner or the people around him or her that takes notice.

(1) Obstructive Sleep Apnea

The airway itself is made up of soft tissue. Since muscles relax during sleep, it is quite common for the path to collapse. Most people suffer from a mild form of obstructive sleep apnea. They probably have become accustomed to the sleepiness they experience. Individuals suffering from mild sleep apnea are typically unaware that they stop breathing during sleep, unless a bed partner points it out.

Some suffer from severe obstructive sleep apnea, while others only have a mild form for brief periods. These mild cases can be due to certain illnesses that cause a swelling of parts of the airway.

One cause is the Epstein - Barr virus (EBV). It is a member of the herpes family of viruses, also called human herpes virus 4 (HV-4). The virus causes infectious mononucleosis in 35% to 69% of infections. Severe cases of mononucleosis are known to cause obstructive sleep apnea due to an increased size of the lymphoid tissue.

(2) Central Sleep Apnea

Brain signals monitor and regulate the body’s automatic functions. This includes digestion and respiration. In sleep, the entire biological system gives control to the brain, relying solely on involuntary responses. Delays and problems with the neurological activity cause gaps in breathing during sleep.

The innate monitoring of carbon dioxide levels in the blood is delayed. This results in an uneven respiratory rate even when the sufferer is awake. When the breathing stops, the person makes no effort to start again. When breathing is resumed, it is often faster, a condition called hyperpnea.

Central sleep apnea may be due to a damaged or injured brain stem. Congestive heart failure can result in a form of the disorder called Cheyne-Stokes respiration. This illness can be cured by heart replacement surgery.

One disorder that develops in childhood is congenital hypoventilation, also called abnormally low ventilation. Children with this problem have traecheotomoies and use respirators during sleep. It can lead to Ondine’s curse during adulthood.

Different forms of sleep apnea treatment are available to accommodate its different types of sleep apnea. These aim to keep the airway open, prevent obstructions and get the patient a good night’s rest.

(3) Complex Sleep Apnea

Complex sleep apnea is a combination of both obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea. This type of condition is rare and only constitutes 0.4% of sleep apnea cases.

Sleep Apnea Symptoms

While it is difficult for people with this condition to sense that something is wrong. They often feel sleepy even after a full night’s sleep. They often have difficulty getting to sleep and staying asleep. The disorder makes it hard to breathe; they often choke, gasp, and fidget. Most people with sleep apnea wake up frequently. It can be the need to use the bathroom, or they just suddenly violently jerk awake. At times, they may be covered in a night sweat.

How to Watch Your Sleep

The correct diagnosis is necessary to get an effective apnea cure. A sleep record can be kept to track one’s feelings and behaviors when they wake up. This can tell if the individual is not getting the quality sleep they need.

1. Keep a notebook beside your bed. Once you wake up jot down how you feel, if you are still tired, if you are covered in sweat, anything you can observe. Note down the time you feel asleep, when you woke up and if you woke up during the night.
2. Monitor feelings of sleepiness during the day. You may wake up and not feel any problems at all. During the day you can get migraines which you only normally associate with a lack of sleep.
3. Use a digital recorder. Since the symptoms happen during sleep, you can use a video or audio recorder to capture them. This can show you tossing and turning; record audio of snoring, or show moments of silence that mark breathing gaps.

Seeing a Specialist

Doctors often recommend a sleep apnea test for excessive daytime sleepiness. This is called a polysomnography or PSG. The test measures biophysical reactions as the patient is sleeping.

• Brain activity
• Eye movement
• Muscle or skeletal muscle activity
• Heart rhythm
• Respiratory airflow
• Effort and peripheral pulse oximetry

Once the data is recorded, the diagnosis can help find the correct apnea cure for the patient.

2 Types Of Polysomnography

(a) Overnight Polysomnography

• Involves monitoring sleep in a hospital, medical facility or lab
• Patient is monitored by skilled specialist while he or she sleeps

(b) Portable Polysomnography

• Involves a take-home kit
• Unattended monitoring
• Results are submitted to a sleep technician the next day.

Measurements of Mild, Moderate and Severe

One of the things that PSG determines is the severity of the apnea. Apneas are the breathing gaps that patients experience. Mild cases are characterized by 5 apneas in an hour. Over fifty breathing gaps are typical of severe cases.

Sleep apnea may not be a fatal condition, but it is highly possible for this condition to develop into something serious and even fatal. It is essential to determine the symptoms, get proper diagnosis, and get the recommended methods of therapy and treatment.

Now that you've learned how Sleep Apnea works and how to diagnose said condition, the next step is to know the treatments. Take time to read my other hub page on sleep apnea treatments.

Also, for another FREE guide to 7 Alternative Sleep Apnea Treatments (with more detailed descriptions of each, along with case studies), visit my website at: http://apneatreatmentguide.com/apneaalternativetreatment/