Newswise — People who live alone may not know they have sleep apnea " a potentially life-threatening disease which increases the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and stroke " because outward signs of the disorder " interrupted breathing, loud snoring " occur during sleep.
Some 18 million Americans have sleep apnea; the most common type is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
"People with OSA stop breathing when throat tissues collapse and block the airway," said Dr. Nidhi S. Undevia (Un-Day-via), Center for Sleep Disorders, Loyola University Health System, Maywood, Ill. "Sensing something is wrong, your brain wakes you up, you choke, gasp for air, then start to breathe normally and go back to sleep.
"However, the airway will close again, many, if not hundreds of times a night, preventing restful sleep," said Undevia, assistant professor, department of medicine, division of pulmonary and critical care medicine, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, Ill. With interrupted breathing, oxygen levels may decrease and carbon dioxide levels may increase. Both are potentially hazardous.
"Even if the person was in bed for eight hours, they wake up groggy and fatigued," said Undevia. "As a result, the person might fall asleep at inappropriate times, such as during meetings or while driving. Concentrating will be difficult." The good news is that sleep apnea is treatable. "The sooner the condition is identified in a sleep study and treatment begun, the better for the patient," said Undevia.
Gregory H., 58, of Berwyn, Ill., had been healthy all his life, was enjoying his 30-year sales career when he noticed he started waking up not feeling rested. "There were times when I fell asleep at my computer," he said. "My wife told me that I had begun snoring and it was waking her at night." The snoring became louder and more frequent.
Then, Greg's wife saw that her husband stopped breathing for short periods of time during the night. So Greg went to Loyola's Center for Sleep Disorders, where he had a sleep test and was diagnosed with sleep apnea.
He started treatment for sleep apnea with a CPAP machine (continuous positive airway pressure), which delivers continuous air pressure in the throat so the airway will not collapse. Since then, Greg and his wife are both sleeping better. And, Greg is more alert during the day.
How do you know if you have sleep apnea?
Anyone can develop sleep apnea, said Undevia, but it is more common in males over age 40; in people who have large tonsils or nasal congestion; and in people who are overweight.
"Neck circumference larger than 16 inches in women and 17 inches in men is associated with an increased risk for OSA," said Undevia.
Although snoring doesn't necessarily mean that one has sleep apnea, most people with the condition do snore.
During normal sleep, a person's heart has less of a workload. "When a person stops breathing, it stresses the heart and increases blood pressure," said Undevia.
Sleep apnea is diagnosed by undergoing a sleep study called a polysomnogram. The sleep test will monitor the person's brain waves, oxygen levels, breathing, heart rate and leg movements. At Loyola, a board certified sleep physician will interpret the test and determine if sleep apnea is contributing to disturbed sleep and daytime fatigue.
Visit the Loyola University Health System Web site at http://www.luhs.org for more information.
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