The Three Types of Sleep Apnea

Waking during the night unable to catch your breath may not be the first symptom of sleep apnea to make an appearance, but it is one that is not easily ignored. Other symptoms may include snoring, morning headaches, feeling tired during the day, inability to concentrate and dry mouth.

Apnea is a Greek word that means lack of breath or wanting breath. With this condition, a person’s airway is blocked or partially blocked, causing interruptions in respiration. This is serious and in some cases fatal. These interruptions can occur as often as 20 times in 60 minutes, making a peaceful rest out of the question.

The most diagnosed form of sleep apnea is Obstructive Sleep Apnea. It occurs when the soft palate blocks the airway, interrupting breathing. This will cause a reduction of oxygen in the blood stream and can lead to hypertension and heart ailments. Snoring is a primary symptom of this disorder.

Central Sleep Apnea, which is caused by lack of communication between the brain and the respiratory system, is not wide spread. This miscue causes a momentary break in breathing, leading to a drop of oxygen available in the blood. Stroke, hypertension and heart irregularities can result.

With Mixed Sleep Apnea, as the name suggests, a person experiences the symptoms of the two varieties of the condition mentioned previously.

Less take a closer look at the most prevalent type of this disorder:

With overweight individuals, the throat tissue sometimes increases in size and becomes less flexible. This may result in temporary blockage of the airway. Changes in the tonsils and the adenoids can also be a cause.

We have already mentioned the choking sensation that goes with this condition. Other symptoms are putting on weight, tiredness during the day, inability to focus, morning headaches and dry mouth.

Managing your weight, not drinking alcohol and not sleeping on your back are three ways to treat the condition. A doctor may also recommend some devices to promote continuous breathing, and in some cases surgery is necessary.

Don’t ignore the symptoms of sleep apnea. It could be a matter of life and death.