Learn More About Potential Solutions To Address Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea is a disorder characterized by pauses in breathing or instances where breathing becomes shallow or irregular during sleep. This can happen when the airway becomes blocked, for example, by excess tissue in the throat (such as enlarged tonsils and adenoids), excessive mucus from allergies, chronic sinusitis or nasal congestion. 

This sleep disorder affects about 1 in 15 people in the United States but it’s estimated that about 80% of all of these cases go undiagnosed, due to stigma, lack of awareness, and misdiagnosis for other diseases.

But how has the COVID-19 pandemic influenced sleep apnea, both in terms of diagnoses and treatments? Sadly, it’s unlikely that sleep apnea sufferers have declined in number since the start of the pandemic - but treatments have seen a steady dip as more patients fear going to healthcare environments due to the risk of contracting the disease.

It’s important to understand the risks and potential solutions for addressing sleep apnea, especially when you consider that respiratory and pulmonary issues are key comorbidity factors for COVID-19. Here’s what you need to know when it comes to understanding obstructive sleep apnea during the pandemic.

What is Sleep Apnea?

Do you have problems sleeping? Are you tired all the time? Do you snore or gasp for air in your sleep? Have a hard time breathing because of congestion while laying down at night? If so, then it is possible that you may be suffering from sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that causes one to pause for breath during their sleep. It can be caused by structural issues such as over-sized tonsils or adenoids, an elongated soft palate, as well as many other factors. The pauses in breathing disrupt the normal functions of our body and brain while we are sleeping and can cause fatigue throughout the day. 

Sleep apnea, often referred to as obstructive sleep apnea, causes periodic disruptions to the normal breathing process. It often causes snoring, since the airflow is being squeezed through a narrow airway space.

Left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to more severe health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and hypertension. Sadly, it is far more difficult to diagnose and treat sleep apnea than you might think, especially because the symptoms are often shared with other diseases.

Not all sleep apnea conditions are alike. In fact, there are several types of sleep apnea to be aware of.

Obstructive sleep apnea is perhaps the most common. In this disease, the airway is floppy, blocked, or narrowed.

Central sleep apnea is a bit different. Here, there’s no blockage of the airway, but for whatever reason, the brain does not signal the respiratory muscles to breathe as they should.

In mixed sleep apnea, the least common type of sleep apnea, the two types of apnea described above are combined. This kind of sleep apnea can be tough to treat.

Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

When you have sleep apnea, there will be a diminished supply of oxygen to the brain and other important areas of the body. It can cause poor sleep quality, which in and of itself is a problem but can also lead to issues like drowsiness and a foggy feeling the next day.

If you have sleep apnea, you might also suffer from headaches that are mysterious and difficult to treat. You may feel grumpy or irritable, forgetful, or just plain tired.

It can also cause or worsen other diseases. For example, it can make a condition of depression worse and also cause a serious drop in your libido. It can cause leg swelling, also known as edema, and in children, it can lead to hyperactivity. It can cause you to perform poorly at school and work, and of course, like any sleep-related disorder, it can put you at risk for workplace accidents or motor vehicle crashes.

What Causes Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

There are several potential causes when it comes to obstructive sleep apnea. Often, these work together to make you more likely to develop this disease - but having even just one risk factor is enough to cause issues.

For the most part, sleep apnea is much more common in older adults, as well as those who are overweight. While you aren’t going to be able to take years off your life in order to treat your obstructive sleep apnea, weight loss may make a world of difference. 

Sleep apnea can be worsened by environmental factors, too. You might find that sleep apnea is worse if you suffer from asthma or allergies and it can even be aggravated by sleeping on your back.

Who Is At Risk For Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

There are several risk factors to pay attention to when it comes to obstructive sleep apnea. If you have one or more of these and are suffering from the symptoms described above, it may be time to pay a visit to your doctor.

Children who have large adenoids or tonsils are more at risk for sleep apnea. Generally, however, children are not affected by this ailment.

Older adults, particularly those who are overweight or obese, are more likely to suffer from sleep apnea. How do you know if your weight might be a factor? Start by taking a look at your collar size. If you are a man and your collar size is 17 inches or larger, time to pay a visit to the doctor - the same goes for women who have a collar size that is 16 inches or more.

Why collar size? While weight, in general, is an important metric to pay attention to, your neck circumference is going to play the biggest role in identifying this disease.

There are other physical features that might put you at a greater risk of obstructive sleep apnea, too. For example, if you have a large tongue, your airway can more easily become blocked. A condition known as retrognathia, which is when your upper jaw is longer than your lower jaw, can also lead to sleep apnea. If you have a naturally narrow palate or airway that collapses more easily, this, too, can lead to sleep apnea.

Remember that heart disease is also more common if you are overweight or obese - and obesity is a known risk factor of high blood pressure, heart disease, and of course, sleep apnea.

At-Home Sleep Tests

Sleep apnea can be diagnosed in several ways, but if you suspect that you have sleep apnea, the first thing you need to do is get yourself to the doctor. He will run a complete physical examination on you and do a thorough history and work-up. If you snore or have a history of unexplained daytime sleepiness, those are factors that signal sleep apnea. You may also be asked to fill out a questionnaire that will give your doctor an idea of your sleep quality. 

Then, there are several sleep tests that can be conducted, some of which can be done at home and some of which require a brief stay in a sleep study center or a hospital.

A polysomnogram is one of these tests. In a polysomnogram, various organs will be measured to see how they are working while you sleep. Some of these tests include:

• An electroencephalogram to measure your brain waves

• An electromyogram to measure muscle activity

• An arterial blood gas analysis

• A pulse oximetry test to see how oxygen levels change in your blood

All of these tests will give your doctor a clearer picture about how your oxygen, carbon dioxide, and acid-base levels in your body. That way, he can understand whether your body is getting enough oxygen or not - a key issue surrounding sleep apnea.

There are at-home tests for sleep apnea, too, though some doctors find that these aren’t quite as effective. At-home tests won’t analyze how long or how well you are sleeping but generally only measure your breathing instead. These tests have to be prescribed by a doctor but the good news is that they are often less expensive than in-clinic tests.

At-home sleep tests generally won’t completely rule out apnea and they can be inaccurate (for example, if your sensors fall off during the night). Therefore, it’s best to consider a one-night stay at a hospital or sleep study center to get the best picture of what might be affecting you.

Increased Mortality Risk and Viral Spread

So what does all of this have to do with the COVID-19 pandemic? Experts say nothing at all - but also everything.

Does having sleep apnea cause you to be more at risk for COVID-19? Technically, no. However, since obesity is a major comorbidity factor for severe COVID-19 - and also a leading factor for developing sleep apnea - there’s a good chance that you could be at risk for COVID-19 if you have sleep apnea. Remember, the vast majority of people with sleep apnea are considered obese.

Similarly, having sleep apnea puts you more at risk for severe health problems like heart disease and stroke. Since sleep apnea is typically something that only older adults experience, that alone is a risk factor for contracting severe COVID-19, too.

So while there is no direct link between sleep apnea and the pandemic, there is a strong correlation between apnea sufferers and those who are more at risk for the disease. Therefore, it’s important to get yourself tested and treated for sleep apnea ASAP if you think this issue might be causing your sleep problems at night. It could likely save your life!

Treatment Options For Sleep Apnea

There are multiple treatment options you can explore for sleep apnea to help make sure you’re getting the oxygen (and the sleep!) your body needs.

One of the most commonly suggested treatments for sleep apnea is weight loss. This often provides partial, if not total, relief of all sleep apnea symptoms. You might also be encouraged to try nasal decongestants if your sleep apnea is mild - often, these alone can provide relief from the snoring experienced by sleep apnea sufferers.

CPAP, or continuous positive airway pressure, is another common treatment for obstructive sleep apnea. With CPAP, a continuous stream of air is administered through a facemask that is worn at night. The air keeps the airways open and helps you breathe (and sleep!) better. You may also be encouraged to wear a dental device in conjunction with your CPAP machine to help keep your lower jaw in a forward-facing position.

Another therapy that might be explored is BiPAP, or Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure. These machines are used if CPAP is not effective, with the machines having various settings that respond to your breathing.

Even simple fixes like positional therapy, or retraining you to sleep in different positions (rather than on your back, which aggravates sleep apnea) can work.

In rare cases, you may have to have surgery to correct your sleep apnea. This is usually only necessary if you have extra tissues in the back of the throat. Procedures like tracheostomy may and uvulopalatopharyngoplasty are treatments that might be used to address sleep apnea. For children, tonsillectomies and adenoidectomies are common surgeries used to treat sleep apnea.

In fact, for kids, surgery is much more likely than it is for adults, since enlarged adenoids or tonsils are almost always the cause of obstructive sleep apnea in younger individuals.

Knowing and Understanding Sleep Apnea Is Key To Your Overall Health

Sleep apnea is a disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. It can be as serious as an asthma attack, but more difficult to detect because it occurs while you are asleep. Treatment for sleep apnea is not always easy, but there are many ways to improve your symptoms.

It can lead to serious health issues like high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke if left untreated. Of course, all of these health issues are potential risk factors for contracting COVID-19, too.

In the wake of a pandemic, there’s no time to waste when it comes to looking after your own health. Understanding whether you might be at risk for - or actually suffering from - sleep apnea is essential when it comes to staying healthy and thriving.

Shana Thompson is a full time professional writer and editor. Shana has worked extensively in the fields of content marketing, on-page and off-page SEO (guest posts, backlink acquisition), and creative writing. As an experienced pro content writer, Shana has worked on several magazines, publishing companies and marketing agencies. Many recent projects have included everything from nutrition and health services, where a lot of research and citations were needed, to writing about health, sustainable, eco-friendly products.

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