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Sleep Apnea: The Not-So-Funny
Side of Snoring

by Jason Williams, MD

More than 18 million Americans aren’t getting a good night’s sleep. They have sleep apnea—a potentially life-threatening disorder in which breathing is interrupted during sleep.

Sleep apnea affects people of all ages, but is twice as common in men than in pre-menopausal women. Studies have linked sleep apnea to high blood pressure, increased risk of heart attack and stroke, irregular heartbeat or rhythms, and mood disorders.

What Are the Symptoms?

The most obvious symptom of sleep apnea is snoring, which may be followed by a short pause, and then snorting or gasping for breath. Other signs include:

• Excessive daytime sleepiness, especially when sedentary but sometimes when active
• Depression and irritability
• Morning headaches
• Forgetfulness
• Occasional difficulty sleeping and/or nonrestorative sleep upon awakening

What Is Sleep Apnea?

There are two types of sleep apnea. Central sleep apnea is a rare form that occurs when the breathing signal from the brain doesn’t get delivered to the muscles used for breathing. In the more common obstructive sleep apnea, the upper airway—also called the trachea or windpipe—becomes partially or completely blocked during sleep and restricts breathing. This blockage may be caused by:

• The relaxation of the tongue and throat muscles during sleep
• Excess tissue that narrows the airway—often the cause among overweight people

How Can it be Treated?

Treatment often begins with a few behavioral changes used to treat snoring. If those fail to help, your doctor may recommend:

• Administration of pressurized air through a mask worn over the nose, or over the nose and mouth, or with a smaller interface with tube tips just inside the nostrils
• One of several different mouthpieces used to hold the jaw or tongue forward during sleep
• Surgical intervention to correct the obstruction