The Importance of Recognizing and Treating Sleep Apnea.

This post on sleep apnea is sponsored by Aeroflow in collaboration with Chronic Illness Bloggers.  As always, all opinions remain my own and were not influenced by the sponsor.

Nearly five years ago I was sitting next to my soon-to-be husband, attempting to take on the role of gracious caregiver, as he fell asleep after his wisdom teeth removal surgery.  I felt awkward and even a little bit creepy watching him sleep with a half-eaten bowl of jello in my hands – until he suddenly made a loud, gasping noise.  My unsure emotions were quickly displaced by distress and anxiety when I saw him struggle to breathe.  A few minutes later, once I got past the shock of his choking sounds, I remembered that my father used to make the same noises if he fell asleep without his CPAP machine.

Making the connection between his fitful sleeping and my father’s sleep apnea filled me with relief because I knew there were ways to fix it.  I shared my suspicions of sleep apnea as soon as he emerged from his post-surgery haze.  He brushed me off at first, mainly because snoring loudly was normal for him.  He also pointed out that he was young and fit, with no reason to believe he could have a serious health issue.  Fortunately, he was (and is) a reasonable man, and after a few educational discussions he agreed to see a doctor and have a sleep study done.

 

 

As you can probably tell from the photo, he was quite uncomfortable during the sleep study.  The foreign environment, the sensors attached to him, and the sleep technician observing him were all rather unsettling.  It was important step, however, because the study revealed that he had severe obstructive sleep apnea – he would stop breathing an average of 32 times each hour.  That means he was deprived of oxygen about every two minutes or as many as 250 times during an eight hour sleep period.

I found it rather frightening that the most important person in my life had no idea that he was suffering from such a severe level of sleep apnea.  In fact, he didn’t know what sleep apnea was at the time.  None of his family, friends, or roommates had ever recognized his symptoms even though we believe that he had been suffering from some level of sleep apnea for nearly ten years.  If left untreated, he could have faced dangerous health issues.

I want you to be able to protect yourself and your loved ones from the dangers of untreated sleep apnea, so in this post I’ll share more about what sleep apnea is, how you can recognize it, what treatment options are available, and how Aeroflow can help.

 

 

What is sleep apnea?

A surprisingly common sleep disorder, sleep apnea happens when someone experiences apneas – or pauses in breathing – while they are sleeping.  Once the person stops breathing their brain has to wake them up in order for them to start breathing again.  This interrupts the sleep cycle and makes restorative sleep almost impossible.

Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common type and has many different causes.  It happens when part of the airway collapses, perhaps due to weak muscles, enlarged body parts, fat deposits in the neck, or overly relaxed muscles.  Mr. Meena (my husband) experienced sleep apnea because he had a deviated septum, extraneous throat tissue, and large adenoids.  As he slept, his airway became blocked and his brain woke him up enough to reopen it, at which point his body realized it was deprived of oxygen and he gasped for air.  These episodes usually happened quickly enough that he wasn’t aware of them and didn’t remember them.

Another less common type is central sleep apnea, which is when the brain doesn’t correctly signal to the respiratory muscles to continue the breathing cycle.  Instead of someone’s breathing becoming physically obstructed, they simply do not breathe for a while.

 

What are the symptoms?

Sleep related symptoms of sleep apnea include:

• pauses in breathing
• gasping for air
• restless sleep
• waking up feeling short of breath
• insomnia
• getting up often to use the bathroom
• loud snoring

 

 

A more subtle symptom of moderate to severe sleep apnea is not having dreams regularly.  It’s difficult to dream when your sleep is being interrupted so often.  After Mr. Meena’s sleep apnea was treated he began having vivid dreams for the first time in many years.

Wakeful sleep apnea symptoms include:

• daytime fatigue, exhaustion, or excessive sleepiness
• difficulty concentrating
• forgetfulness
• irritability
• impaired motor skills
• waking up with dry mouth, a sore throat, or a headache

It’s also possible to have symptoms that are actually complications of untreated sleep apnea, such as high blood pressure.

 

Why is it important to recognize and treat?

Some symptoms, such as irritability or restless sleep, might seem rather generic and not worth bothering with a trip to the doctor.  However, the consequences of sleep apnea range from mildly bothersome to potentially fatal.  The constant physical stress of sleep apnea on the body can lead to high blood pressure, heart problems (including heart attack), depression, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and more.  In fact, people with moderate, untreated sleep apnea are three times more likely to have a stroke.  The sleep deprivation aspect makes sleep apnea sufferers more likely to have performance issues at work or school and increases their chances of having a car accident.

Sleep apnea is a serious medical condition – but it’s one with many treatment options.  Being able to recognize the symptoms will help ensure that you and those in your life don’t suffer needlessly.

 

What should I do if I suspect sleep apnea?

You will need to have a sleep study completed; your physical activity must be monitored overnight to determine what kind of sleep disorder you may have as well as its severity.

However, you don’t have to be as uncomfortable as Mr. Meena was during his sleep study.  Instead of going to a sleep center or hospital to have the study completed, you can do it in your own home.  Aeroflow Healthcare offers home sleep testing services that take a lot of the stress out of the process.  A sleep clinician will determine which sleep test is most appropriate and ship the devices needed to your home.  Customer service is available 24/7 to help you during the study, and afterwards you ship the devices back so that the data can be analyzed.  I definitely recommend checking out the home sleep services if you suspect sleep apnea – I know Mr. Meena would have greatly preferred this route if we had known about it at the time.

Once you have the results of your sleep study, you will be able to discuss treatment options with a sleep specialist.

 

How is sleep apnea treated?

Treatment for sleep apnea depends on the type, severity, and causes.  Central sleep apnea treatment would focus correcting on the underlying medical condition.  Milder forms of obstructive sleep apnea could be treated with lifestyle changes such as weight loss, a change in medication, or trying a different sleeping position.

In many cases, a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine is the recommended course of treatment for obstructive sleep apnea.  These machines use constant air flow to keep the airway open as you sleep.  The air enters your nose and/or mouth from a mask attached to the machine via a tube.

 

 

BiPAP, or bi-level positive airway pressure, machines are a similar treatment method that switches the air flow according to your breathing pattern, providing more pressure when you inhale and less when you exhale.

While these machines may not be a treatment method you particularly look forward to (my father’s machine was a bit of monster), they have improved over time to become smaller, quieter, and cheaper.  Plus, Aeroflow Healthcare offers such a wide variety of CPAP machines and supplies that you should be able to easily find a setup that suits you well.  They have regular and auto CPAP or BiPAP machines, travel size machines, and machines with built-in humidifiers.  The accompanying mask can be full face, nasal, oral, or a hybrid version.  Aeroflow’s sleep technicians can help pick out which kinds of equipment would be best for you based on the results of your sleep study and your personal preferences.

Furthermore, Aeroflow can assist you in processing the equipment through your insurance company, as these machines and their supplies are typically covered, or available with a copay, through insurance once you meet specific criteria (such as having a qualifying sleep study, a diagnosis of sleep apnea, and a prescription for the equipment).  Your machine and its accessories will then be delivered to your home, hassle free.

Another treatment option for sleep apnea is oral appliances; these would most likely be provided by your dentist and would help to keep your throat open while sleeping.  Corrective surgery would be used for severe sleep apnea that is caused by a physical issue, such as Mr. Meena’s deviated septum, or in cases where other treatments have failed.  Ultimately, you may need to combine several treatment methods to completely eradicate sleep apnea.

 

Is it time to take your next step?

I urge you to be vigilant when it comes to sleep apnea.  Talk to others about your symptoms and ask your partner or a close friend to watch for pauses in breathing while you sleep.  Don’t let the potential treatment options intimidate you – it is far better to undergo surgery, modify your lifestyle, or learn to sleep with a CPAP machine than suffer from the completely preventable health complications of sleep apnea.  My husband experienced remarkable changes in his energy levels, ability to concentrate, and overall well-being after his sleep apnea was diagnosed and treated.

Please share your thoughts or personal experiences with sleep apnea in the comments!

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All photos without the “Ava Meena” or “www.mymeenalife.com” watermark were provided by Aeroflow; above photo was modified by My Meena Life.