Snoring can be disruptive to both the individual experiencing it and others, especially light sleepers. It can keep one awake, affect the sleeping patterns and sleep rhythm, and may even cause strain in relationships.
However, more than being an irritation, it is also life-threatening in some cases.
An Introduction to Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a condition in which breathing is stopped for ten seconds or more while asleep. For a significant number of times throughout the night, these disruptions may wake one up gasping for air and interrupting sleep. Sleep apnea is linked to high blood pressure, arrhythmia, stroke, and heart failure.
It involves involuntary respiratory interruptions or “apneic episodes.” There could be more than twenty episodes each hour. One might snore in between these episodes. However, not everybody who snores suffers from sleep apnea. One might feel as if they are suffocating if they have sleep apnea. In the morning, they may have headaches and go through excessive daytime lethargy as some of the common side effects of frequent disruptions of deep, restorative sleep.
Inhalation and exhalation during an apneic episode are nearly impossible. As a consequence, the blood carries insufficient oxygen levels and excessive carbon dioxide levels. This causes a sudden awakening when the brain is signaled to restart breathing. The brain sends signals to the upper airway muscles to reopen the airways with each awakening. With a noisy snort or gasp, breathing is restarted. Awakenings are essential for respiration to resume, but they inhibit restful sleep.
Sleep Apnea Diagnosis
Sleep apnea must be diagnosed by a doctor. There are studies that are done during diagnosis, with the help of equipment from a home sleep study company. They can either be in-lab sleep study or home sleep study. The in-lab sleep study is conducted in a hospital. The patient spends an entire night in the hospital and has their sleep monitored.
In-home sleep testing, the patient takes the sleep apnea monitor home. They may conduct the study themselves or may opt to have personnel with them to help. The results recorded are then submitted to a doctor for analysis.
Types of Sleep Apnea
On conducting a study, there are several kinds of sleep apnea that can be discovered. They are categorized according to their severity. Below are the major forms of sleep apnea.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea(OSA)
It is the most prevalent. It occurs when the soft tissue at the back of the throat contracts; as a result, there is total or partial closure of the airways when asleep. It becomes strenuous for the chest and diaphragm to reopen the airways during these instances. You might start gasping for air or jerking your body. This in turn disrupts your sleep, reduces oxygen delivery to your essential organs, and causes irregular heart rhythms.
Central Sleep Apnea
In this form of sleep apnea, there is no blockage of the airways. Rather, due to problems in the respiratory control center, the brain fails to signal the muscles to allow breathing. This disorder is associated with the way the central nervous system works.
Complex Sleep Apnea
It is possible to have more than one form of sleep apnea. Complex sleep apnea syndrome is a kind of sleep apnea in which OSA and central sleep apnea are both present. In some cases, the presence of complicated sleep apnea syndrome can be detected during an initial sleep examination. When apnea does not respond to a standard continuous positive airway pressure(CPAP) machine or other basic OSA therapies, this form of apnea becomes evident.
Sleep Apnea Study
A sleep study is also referred to as polysomnography. Whether done in a lab or at the comfort of the patient’s home, the study records a number of factors: brain and heart electrical activity, quality of the air in the blood, movements in the chest and abdomen wall, and amount of air flow through the nose and mouth.
An at-home sleep study is a less complex form of the sleep test performed in a lab. In most cases, a sleep technician is not present. Instead, the doctor sends the patient with a transportable kit from a home sleep study company. The normal program one follows before bedtime is retained. The home sleep study monitor comes with instructions that one should pay close attention to. The majority of sleep apnea monitors are simple to set up at home.
Equipment Used
This is the equipment that is typically used in home sleep testing. It includes:
- A belt that measures respiratory effort and is placed around the upper chest
- A home sleep study data monitor
- A small nasal cannula that measures airflow
- A finger clip that measures blood oxygen saturation
Advantages of Home Sleep Studies
Many people like convenience. In-lab testing is less convenient than at-home sleep studies. One can stick to their regular routine, which may give a more detailed assessment of their breathing while asleep than in-lab testing. It is also less expensive.
Using a home sleep study monitor tests cost less than half of the price of an in-lab test, according to studies. They are also more likely to be covered by insurance.
Availability is another advantage. For individuals who reside far from a sleep center, home studies may be a more practical choice. The outcomes are faster. The test can be performed as soon as the portable breathing monitor is received.
Conclusion
Sleep apnea is a condition that can affect anyone. Patients should seek treatment as soon as they experience the symptoms to avoid dealing with more detrimental issues if it goes unchecked. Sleep apnea is so common most people don’t take time to think about its symptoms because to some, it is perfectly normal to snore.
An individual with sleep apnea may be unaware of it, but people living with them may observe it. With the right kind of support, everyone can get the help they need as peaceful, undisturbed sleep is a vital part of human life.