Sleep Apnea in Adults: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment Options

Sleep apnoea is a common but serious sleep disorder that can affect many adults on the planet. It happens when a person’s breathing repeatedly stops and restarts when  they are sleeping, which leads to fractured sleep patterns and oxygen deficiency in their body. Sleep apnea can substantially raise your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and diabetes, so the condition is serious when you feel anything like that.

What is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder when a person’s breathing is interrupted during sleep. This process we called as apneas, this can last from several seconds to a minute or more. There are two main types of sleep apnea, firestone is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and the other is central sleep apnea (CSA), as well as complex sleep apnea syndrome (formerly called mixed sleep apnea). The most common type is obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep apnea occurs when the muscles in the throat relax too much from the normal, blocking airflow through the upper airway.

Causes of Sleep Apnea in Adults

Adult sleep apnea is a complex but important problem, and while the direct causes can differ from person to person, there are several leading causes of adult sleep apnea. Causes and Risk Factors of OsteoporosisSome of the common causes and risk factors include:

Obesity

Overweight and obesity rank among the most important risk factors for developing sleep apnea. Extra weight around the neck and throat can compress the airway and make it hard to breathe while sleeping. This is why sleep apnea is more common in overweight people.

Age

As people get older, the muscles in the throat naturally weaken and lose tone, which increases the likelihood that the airway will collapse during sleep. Both between the ages of 40 and 64 years and also over the age of 65, respectively, have a higher probability of developing sleep apnea, particularly as the big problem occurs as one gets older;

Gender

Sleep apnea is more common in men compared with women, but the risk for women rises after menopause. A larger neck circumferences in men place men at higher risk for sleep apnea than women who have a smaller neck circumference.

Family History

A family history of sleep apnea also can raise the risk of developing the condition. Genetics can play a role in a person's risk for sleep apnea.

Smoking and Alcohol Use

When people smoke or drink alcohol, it can worsen sleep apnea. Smoking causes airway irritation and increased inflammation, while alcohol relaxes muscles in the throat, increasing the probability that the airway will collapse while you're sleeping.

Other Medical Conditions

Certain medical conditions can increase the risk of sleep apnea, including:

● Hypertension (high blood pressure)

● Diabetes

● Heart disease

● Stroke

● Chronic nasal congestion

Signs of Sleep Apnea in Adults

A person with sleep apnea may not get quality sleep and have poor health. Sleep apnea symptoms can vary, but the most prevalent signs in adults are:

Loud Snoring

One of the more telltale signs of obstructive sleep apnea is loud, chronic snoring. While not everyone who snores has sleep apnea, loud, interruptive snoring followed by silence could suggest apnea events.

Pauses in Breathing

A general symptom of sleep apnea is breathing that often stops and resumes while you’re asleep — a condition that is usually noted by someone in bed with you. Apneic pauses can extend for 10 seconds or a minute, and are typically accompanied by choking, gasping or smothering sounds as someone begins to breathe again.

Excessive Daytime Sleepiness

Since apnea interrupts the sleep cycle, affected people suffer from considerable daytime sleepiness and fatigue. This can cause difficulty concentrating, memory issues, irritability, and an overall lack of energy.

Morning Headaches

Sleep apnea as a whole can even result in patients waking up with headaches caused by an overnight decrease in their overall oxygen levels. This triggers dilation of blood vessels in the brain and a headache.

Dry Mouth or Sore Throat

Morning dry mouth or a sore throat is common in people with sleep apnea, particularly in those who experience mouth breathing at night due to the blockage of their airway.

Difficulty Sleeping

People with sleep apnea may find it hard to fall asleep or stay asleep. They tend to wake up often at night because of difficulty breathing.

High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is closely connected with sleep apnea. Subsequent drops in oxygen levels may cause the body to release stress hormones, raising blood pressure.

Treatment Options for Sleep Apnea in Adults

Treatment depends on the severity and whether it is a secondary condition.

● Lifestyle Changes: weight loss, side sleeping, avoiding alcohol and sedatives, quitting smoking all improve airway function and are factors minimizing muscle relaxation and contributing to the severity of sleep apnea.

● CPAP Therapy: The most common treatment is a CPAP or continuous positive airway pressure machine, which provides air pressure as you breathe through a mask to keep airways open and reduce the number of times you stop breathing.

● BiPAP therapy: Provides two different pressure levels on inhalation and exhalation — this option is easier for individuals with more complex sleep apnea or who find it harder to become used to the sitting time with CPAP.

● Oral appliances: These dental devices, commonly known as mandibular advancement devices (MADs), reposition the jaw to keep the airway open.

● Surgery: If other treatments don’t work, you might need an operation, like prend removal, pulling the tongue forward or a device that stimulates the muscles of the airway.

Conclusion

If you are an adult with sleep apnea, you have a serious health condition that affects your health and life. Early recognition of warning signs is important, and accurate diagnosis and management of the disorder are critical to avoid potential complications. Lifestyle changes, constant positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, oral appliances, or surgery – solutions are available. 

Sleep quality and the dangers of sleep apnea are no longer inevitable. If you think you have sleep apnea, it's important to visit a healthcare provider to receive the appropriate treatment and improve your overall health.