Signs and Symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Adults

OSA is a disorder that occurs when the airway collapses during sleep. This interrupts normal breathing patterns, preventing oxygen from traveling to the brain or the lungs. The brain then sends signals to the body to wake up, often resulting in individuals gasping for air before falling asleep again.

These apnea events can occur 30 times per hour or more in severe cases and can last as long as 10 seconds. Untreated sleep apnea has been linked to several short- and long-term health risks including cardiovascular disease, hypertension, stroke, obesity, and more.

Central sleep apnea is a disorder in which regular breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep causing sleep loss. Unlike OSA, central sleep apnea begins in the brain rather than the airway.

Central sleep apnea occurs because your brain doesn’t send proper signals to the muscles that control your breathing. This condition is different from obstructive sleep apnea, in which you can’t breathe normally because of upper airway obstruction. Central sleep apnea is less common than obstructive sleep apnea.

Central sleep apnea can result from other conditions, such as heart failure and stroke. Another possible cause is sleeping at a high altitude.

Mixed sleep apnea, the third type, is a combination of central and obstructive factors occurring in the same episode of sleep apnea. Brain-related and airway-related causes combine to make diagnosing the precise type of sleep apnea difficult. Episodes of mixed sleep apnea most often begin as obstructive apneas and are treated like obstructive apneas.

Some patients being treated for obstructive sleep apnea with the use of CPAP machines develop symptoms of central sleep apnea upon PAP therapy. During CPAP treatment for the patients believed to have OSA, the patient’s airways were successfully splinted open and free from obstructions, but the patient continued to have difficulty breathing while asleep, revealing mixed sleep apnea.

In several cases, obstructive sleep apnea is most prominent in men over the age of 50 with a BMI score above 35 (clinically obese). Additionally, patients with a large neck circumference (16 inches) are at risk for sleep apnea. However, it is important to understand that anyone can be susceptible to obstructive sleep apnea. Learning the signs and symptoms of OSA is the first step in reaching a diagnosis.

While sleep apnea can affect anyone, including women and children, there are certain characteristics that put you at higher risk. These include:

• Overweight. Obesity greatly increases your risk for sleep apnea as the extra fat around the neck may obstruct your breathing.
• Gender. Men are 2-3 times more likely to have OSA than women. However, the risk factor for women increases significantly after menopause.
• Age. Sleep apnea occurs significantly more in older adults.
• Genetics. Those with narrower airways are at higher risk for OSA.
• Family history. Having family members with OSA might increase your risk.
• Smoking. Smoking increases inflammation and fluid retention in the upper airway, making smokers 3 times more likely to have OSA than non-smokers.
• Use of alcohol, sedatives, or tranquilizers. These relax the muscles in your throat, which can worse OSA.
• Nasal congestion. If you have trouble breathing through your nose, even if it is due to allergies, you are at a higher risk to develop OSA.
  Hypertension or High Blood Pressure. Obstructive Sleep Apnea and high blood pressure or hypertension have been linked through a number of studies. Additionally, sleep apnea is more common in people who suffer from hypertension.
• Diabetes. People with diabetes are more prone to suffer from obstructive sleep apnea.
• Asthma. It been found that those who are suffering from asthma, have a higher risk of developing obstructive sleep apnea.