There are three types of sleep apnea, but only two are the most widely discussed.
There is obstructive sleep apnea, which is the most common type of this condition.
With obstructive sleep apnea, your throat muscles collapse while you sleep.
Another type of sleep apnea is called central sleep apnea.
This type occurs when the respiratory muscles do not receive the correct signal.
The third type, which most people have not experienced, is called complex or mixed sleep apnea.
This type is a combination of two situations. Obstructive sleep apnea Obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA, prevents air from entering the throat.
Some other things that can happen with this type of sleep disorder are:
• When sleeping, the throat muscles collapse inward as you breathe.
• Air will pass through the upper respiratory tract. This includes the nose, mouth, and throat area.
• As the muscles widen, they prevent collapse, so the airway remains open.
• The oxygen in your blood will decrease. This will cause your lungs to inhale air from the outside.
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• Apnea occurs when the tissue at the back of the throat is temporarily blocked.
Stop breathing, if you wake up, you may have to gasp.
• Even if you gasp or snore, you may not wake up.
If you experience five or more apneas per hour, it is considered part of obstructive sleep apnea.
Central Sleep Apnea
Central sleep apnea is not as common as obstructive sleep apnea.
This type of sleep apnea starts in the brain (central nervous system).
The brain does not send signals to the muscles in the airway to allow them to breathe.
The oxygen level drops and you may wake up. With this type of sleep apnea, people usually remember to wake up.
If you have heart disease or heart failure, then you are experiencing central sleep apnea.
Complex or Mixed Apnea
As mentioned earlier in this report, this is a combination of obstructive apnea and central sleep apnea.
With this type of sleep apnea, you will deal with obstructive sleep apnea or OSA.
Most importantly, if the airway pressure is good, you will often experience central sleep apnea.
If you use CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure), central sleep apnea will be recognized. This happens after the blockage is removed.
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The most obvious sign of sleep apnea is loud and continuous snoring.
You can pause while snoring. You may also choke or gasp after a pause.
When you lie on your back, the snoring sound becomes louder. If you sleep on your side, your snoring may not be so loud. You may or may not snore every night.
Over time, snoring will increase and become louder when you sleep. Since you are sleeping when you are snoring or panting, you may not know that you are having trouble breathing.
Others will see the signs in front of you, and if you become a pattern, they will let you know.
Remember, just because you are a chronic snorer does not mean that you have sleep apnea.
If you have trouble falling asleep during the day, this may indicate that you have sleep apnea.
If you do not do any activities, you may fall asleep quickly. If this happens while you are working or driving, you are more likely to have a work-related accident or accident while driving.
People may not associate other signs and symptoms with sleep apnea.
They are:
• Headaches in the morning
• Frequent urination in the afternoon or evening
• Bad mood or personality changes
• Inability to concentrate, inattention or loss of memory
• Dry throat when you wake up in the morning
Air can enter your lungs. However, when you sleep, your throat muscles are relaxed.
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This means that your airway may be blocked and air will not be able to enter your lungs.
With obstructive sleep apnea, you may also experience the following:
• If your head and neck structure are small, the size of the airways in your mouth and throat may be small.
• The muscles of the throat and tongue are relaxed than they should.
• If you are overweight or obese, you will have extra soft adipose tissue. This tissue can thicken in the wall of the trachea. Without much openness, what is available may not remain open.
• If you are an elderly person, your brain signals may not keep your throat muscles stiff.
• If the airway is blocked, you may snore loudly during sleep.
Low oxygen levels prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep.
The upper respiratory tract muscles are tense and the trachea opens.
You can breathe normally again until you start to gasp or gasp. With frequent low oxygen levels and less sleep time, stress hormones are released.
This can lead to high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack and abnormal heartbeat.
Stress hormones can also cause heart failure.
If your condition is not treated, your risk of obesity and diabetes may increase.