Your throat muscles are responsible for keeping the airway in your throat stiff and open when you are awake. This helps keep the lungs open for air breathing. During sleep, the same muscles get more relaxed. Relaxed throat muscles usually keeps airway open so that air could still flow into the lungs. However, at times, the airways could get blocked or narrowed especially during sleep. Such is the condition when there is sleep apnea.

There are several specific reasons why the airway passage gets obstructed or blocked during sleep. First, the throat muscles and even the tongue get more relaxed than normal. Second, tonsils and tongue are naturally larger than normal that they serve as obstruction to opening of your windpipe. Third, if you are overweight, there could be extra soft fat tissues that could thicken your windpipe’s wall. This occurrence makes the interior of the airway opening narrow, making it also harder to remain or keep open.

Blocking of the airways during sleep apnea could also be due to the natural shape of your own head and neck. If you have a bony structure in the areas, chances are greater that you could have a smaller than normal airway size in the throat and even in the mouth. Lastly, the aging process could also be factor. Old age could limit the brain’s ability to send signals that would keep throat muscles ideally stiff during sleep. Such an occurrence could make airways narrower and eventually collapse.

In general, it is logical that not sufficient air supply flows into the lungs when the airways are partly or fully blocked, especially during sleep. In most cases, such a condition could lead to very loud snoring and to significant decline in your body’s blood oxygen level. Be reminded that there could be risks when the oxygen level falls to very dangerous levels.

It could trigger the brain to effectively disturb your sleep. This is a natural reflex to that the upper airway muscled would be kept tight and the windpipe open. Sleep apnea occurs in a few minutes, after which, normal breathing could effectively resume. This is often heralded by a sudden loud choking sound or snort.

It is also natural that frequent drops in your body’s oxygen level and at the same time reduced or lack of sleep could trigger unlikely release of natural stress hormones. When this happens, the heart rate is raised and there is increased risk for heart attack, hypertension, stroke, and even irregular heartbeats. Stress hormones could also worsen a prevailing heart failure or ailment.

It is important that sleep apnea be treated or you could develop obesity and diabetes due to significant changes on how the body is using energy.

While it is true that obstructive sleep apnea is a serious and sometimes fatal sleep disorder due to the many complications that come with it, it shouldn’t be a cause of panic. There are ways to cope with it. If you are one of the millions of people with sleep apnea, here are some things you can do:

1. Use a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) upon the prescription of your doctor. CPAP is used in providing air pressure to keep your airway open and therefore avoid sleep disturbances. It also diminishes the possibility of snoring, so your bed partner can equally have a restful sleep. CPAP is a bit uncomfortable to use though, but you can make some adjustments to get use to it. Use nasal pillows, for instance.

Nasal pillows are fitted into the nostrils and eliminate pressure on the nose. You can also use skin moisturizer or other skin products for CPAP users to avoid skin irritation. To keep your jaw locked and the air in, use a chin strap. Don’t easily give up on CPAP; instead, ask your doctor for ways to make it more comfortable to use.

2. Maintain a healthy lifestyle. Obstructive sleep apnea is caused and aggravated by some habits or activities such as drinking and taking sedatives. Lessen your intake, if not totally get rid of them. Quit smoking as well. It will, of course, take some time. However, if you find it hard to kick the habits in the course of time, remind yourself that keeping a healthy lifestyle does not only allow you to sleep peacefully, it can also add years to your life.

3. Keep an open and constant communication with your doctor or specialist. This is so that he can monitor your improvements and can warn you of risks, if there is any. This also allows you to inform him of any problem that may arise. You must keep in mind that the success of treatment and management of obstructive sleep apnea lies partly in the doctor-patient communication.

4. Educate yourself. While you can certainly trust your doctor or specialist to inform you of everything you need to know about your condition, it is best that you research and study on your own. Find out more about the sleep disorder and the associated complications and risks, so you can learn how to live with it, be more tolerant to the treatments, and monitor your own improvements. The supplemental knowledge you obtain can also help you evaluate treatment options.

5. Find and join a support group. In the United States alone, 12 million are estimated to have sleep apnea. It would, therefore, not be too hard to find people who share what you feel and what you have to go through. Support groups not only provide you with moral and emotional encouragement, they can also impart substantial information about obstructive sleep apnea.

However, if you find it rather hard to look for one in your area, you can do your search online.

Surgical operations are normally done to treat severe sleep apnea, although a few are developed for mild to moderate cases. The severity of the case, however, dictates the degree of the invasiveness of the surgical procedure. The more severe sleep apnea is, the more invasive the surgery is.

The cause of sleep apnea is a major consideration in determining which surgery to perform. Yet, the personal preference and medical condition of the patient are also factors. Though some surgeries can stand alone as a treatment, a few are best combined with other surgical procedures in a series of treatment.

Following are only some of the sleep apnea surgical options from which surgeons, upon diagnosis and careful study of the patient’s condition, choose the most appropriate and effective.

1. Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP)
Aimed at widening and keeping the air passage open, UPPP removes the tissue from the back of the throat that might be the cause of airway obstruction. It can be some parts of the soft palate, throat tissue, tonsils and adenoids, and uvula (the soft tissue that hangs from the back of the mouth). UPPP is considered helpful in eliminating snoring, although sleep apnea may still occur after the surgical procedure. In this case, the use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is necessary. UPPP is normally recommended to people with severe obstructive sleep apnea. Patients need several weeks to recover.

2. Tracheostomy
This procedure involves making a hole in the neck to the windpipe (trachea) and inserting a tube in the opening. The tube then makes way for the free flowing of air when the patient is asleep. At daytime, the tube is closed using a valve to allow the patient to breathe and speak normally. The effectiveness of the procedure is remarkable, although it can present medical problems and emotional issues that normally involve self-image. Because of the associated risks, tracheostomy is only performed to treat severe sleep apnea or if it is the only appropriate surgery for the patient.

3. Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy
These procedures are performed if there is an enlargement of the tonsils and adenoids. Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy are usually the first-line of treatment among children since enlarged tonsils and adenoids are the usual causes of their sleep apnea. These procedures are also effective among adults.

4. Maxillary or maxillomandibular advancement (MMA)
In this sleep apnea surgery, the surgeon repositions the upper or lower jawbone forward. Based on the diagnosis, some surgeons choose MMA as an auxiliary or phase II operation for patients with persistent sleep apnea. In other instances, MMA is performed as the main and sole surgical operation. This is if the patient has certain medical conditions that may not benefit from multiple surgeries or if he personally chooses to undergo a single operation. Though it can significantly change the facial structure, MMA is a consistently effective treatment.

However, not all people are aware of them, which makes it hard for the potential patients to seek immediate medical attention. Treatment is necessary, but it starts by knowing the risk factors and causes of obstructive sleep apnea.

Causes
1. Problems in the airway. Obstructive sleep apnea results from an obstruction in the airway, which is usually caused by certain problems in the airway components. These include the upper and lower jaws, tonsils, soft palate, tongue, and throat muscles.

Some sleep apnea cases involve over-relaxed throat muscles and tongue. When a person sleeps, his muscles normally relax, but when his throat muscles and tongue relax more than normal, it results in narrowing of the airway and causes apneic events.

Enlarged and collapsed soft palate and tonsils also cause obstructive sleep apnea.

2. Structural abnormalities. Anatomical abnormalities contribute to a person’s tendency to experiencing obstructive sleep apnea. For instance, the bone structure and shape of the head and neck may affect the size of the airway. A thicker neck may mean narrower airway. Moreover, large tongue and tonsils may also have an effect on the air passage. There are also structural abnormalities in the jaw, nose, and mouth that appear in people with craniofacial syndromes, making them more prone to obstructive sleep apnea. About 50% of those with Down Syndrome, for example, experience obstructive sleep apnea largely due to decreased muscle tone, comparatively large tongue, and narrower nasopharynx.

3. Obesity. Studies show that obesity has a part to play in the development of obstructive sleep apnea. Fatty cells tend to amass and clog the throat tissue, thereby causing narrowing of the airway. Obese people with sleep apnea are also shown to have more pressure on the airway, which results in more obstruction.

Risk Factors
1. Being Male. Obstructive sleep apnea is more likely to occur among men, although women are predisposed after menopause. Statistics show that one out of 50 middle-aged women has obstructive sleep apnea, compared to one out of 25 among middle-aged men.

2. Old age. Children and adolescents may have obstructive sleep apnea, although those over the age of 65 are twice or thrice more likely to experience it.

3. Use of alcohol, sedatives, and cigarette. Alcohol and sedatives make the muscles more relaxed. Smoking, on the other hand, is said to cause inflammation in the upper airway, thereby making smokers thrice more prone to obstructive sleep apnea.

4. Family history. Sleep apnea seems to run in the family. Therefore, those with family members suffering from obstructive sleep apnea should be more careful for being at a heightened risk.

5. Snoring. Though snoring indicates the presence of obstructive sleep apnea, chronic snoring, in some cases, is said to also cause apneic events. This is because frequent vibration due to snoring may cause the soft palate to stretch, thereby increasing its possibility to collapse. It doesn’t mean, however, that snoring automatically makes a person a candidate for obstructive sleep apnea. Snoring should not be regarded as a sole factor. Other risk factors and causes of obstructive sleep apnea should also be considered.

Sleep apnea is a condition wherein the airway passage gets blocked when a person sleeps. It could cause breathing pauses for about 5 times to as much as 30 times in just an hour. It seldom leads to instant death, but the sleep disorder could lead to many health and body problems. Of course, when there is lack of sufficient oxygen level, the body would secrete stress hormones that could alter sleep or make the body tired and weary the next day. It has also been found that untreated sleep apnea could also be related to other ailments like diabetes, heart attack, hypertension, stroke and irregular heartbeat.

Sleep apnea could be treated. The problem comes in diagnosis. Usually, any person could not tell if he is experiencing sleep apnea. This is because no normal person could ever tell what happens during sleep, just like no person hears his own snoring during his sleep. Usually, it is the roommate or bed partner of the affected person who could get the attention and relay the story about sleep apnea episodes. This is because the sleep disorder could come with loud sound that could be alarming and disturbing to some.

There are identified risk factors for sleep apnea. As mentioned, excessive weight could be one. It has also been found that the condition occurs more in men than in women. In the United States alone, a middle-aged man out of 25 and a middle-aged woman out of 50 could be diagnosed with sleep apnea. This also shows that the disorder is more common in middle-aged and older adults. Researchers point out that the problem gets more common as a person ages. There is at least a person out of 10 aged 65 and higher that could experience sleep apnea. In women, they are found to be more likely to develop the condition after menopause.

It has also been noted that race could also be a factor in the occurrence of sleep apnea. Studies highlight that Pacific Islanders, African Americans, and Hispanics are more likely to have sleep apnea. In the same line, it has been found that Caucasians are less likely to suffer from it. The sleeping disorder could also be hereditary. That means that if someone in your immediate family has a history of sleep apnea, chances are higher that you would also develop the problem.

Also at risks are people who naturally have smaller airways in their throats, nose, or mouth. Small airways could be attributed to shape of structures, onset of allergies, or some other medical conditions that could lead to congestion in the areas. Enlarged tonsils in children could make them prone to sleep apnea regardless of their age.

Some research efforts have even found that the sleeping disorder could even be more common among smokers.

Apnea is a Greek word that literally means to breathe. So when you have this sleep disorder, as you lay to rest, you may not notice that your airway is blocked that is why your breathing is halted. As this occurs, your brain will help you cope by going into a defensive mode. Your brain automatically forces you to breathe by waking you up.

How do you know that someone has this? The more obvious observation can be through the way they snore. You will hear more of a grunt than a snore actually because the person is gasping for air that is why they are making such noise. The blockage is there as long as you are still suffering from the disorder. This is why there will be a constant cycle of sleeping then waking up throughout the night.

Tireless Nights

If you are not worried about this condition, you will do so as time goes by. You may think that this is not alarming because at least, you still can sleep even though you are often being awakened. But the fact is that this is not healthy. You are not only losing hours of sleep but you are not reaching the most important part of this activity. There are five stages of sleep and among these, the most important part is the REM. REM stands for Rapid Eye Movement and this is deepest stage and gives you the feeling of becoming refreshed and well-rested. If you have the disorder, you will never reach such stage.

Aside from losing quality sleep each night, there are more serious problems that people who are suffering from the disorder face each time they go to sleep. Because you cannot breathe easily and regularly as you are sleeping, you lack the needed oxygen that you body has to be supplied with all the time. This can lead to more serious health problems like high blood pressure and heart disorders. If you already have problems with high blood and anything with regards to your heart, this certain sleeping disorder makes the matter worse and may lead to even more difficult problems if you will not act on it as soon as possible.

The Right Actions

The first thing that you need to do to help yourself is to accept that there is a problem. After that, you have to take the necessary actions to alleviate the condition. Here are some recommendations that you can follow in this regard.

1. If you are overweight, it is high time to lose those excess pounds and be fit. You have to know that most people with this disorder are overweight.

2. You can ask for the available dental services that can help you solve the dilemma. You just have to go to the right professional for this action.

3. You can also choose surgery to eliminate the problem of sleep apnea permanently.