What is sleep apnoea and what are the symptoms?
SLEEP apnoea is a sleeping disorder but it can cause some serious health complications.
It causes breathing to repeatedly stop and re-start when you're asleep.
What exactly is sleep apnoea?
There are multiple different kinds of sleep apnoea, but the most common one is called obstructive sleep apnoea.
This is when throat muscles intermittently relax and block the airways when you're asleep.
Depending on the severity of the case, sometimes sleep apnoea may need to be treated with surgery.
What are the different symptoms?
There are a load of different symptoms linked to sleep apnoea but some of the most obvious are loud snoring and abrupt awakenings followed by gasping and choking.
Night time sweating, morning headaches, high blood pressure and a decreased libido are also huge tell-tale signs.
MOST READ IN HEALTH
If you notice yourself experiencing mood changes such as depression or irritability, or are having difficulty concentrating you might want to go and pay your GP a visit.
Symptoms of sleep apnoea mainly happen while you sleep.
They include:
- breathing stopping and starting
- making gasping, snorting or choking noises
- waking up a lot
- loud snoring
During the day, you may also:
- feel very tired
- find it hard to concentrate
- have mood swings
- have a headache when you wake up
What are some of the causes?
One main cause that can affect sleep apnoea is additional fat stores around the airway.
Those who hold more fat around their face and neck can be at higher risk of developing sleep apnoea.
Obesity is often associated with sleep apnoea, as the additional soft tissue can cause the airway to block, which restricts breathing.
If you're diagnosed with the condition then you'll typically be asked to make some lifestyle changes such as losing weight, limiting alcohol consumption and stopping smoking.
How do you treat sleep apnoea?
Sleep apnoea does not always need to be treated if it's mild.
But if it is affecting your sleep and health there are a few different methods.
They include a chin strap which re-positions the jaw and treatment which uses hypoglossal nerve stimulation.
It can even be treated by upper airway surgery in some cases to remove tissue from the airways.
The most popular treatment which is highly effective is using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device.
This it a mask that fits over the mouth and nose, and blows air into the airways to help keep it open during sleep.
You can get it on the NHS, but if you would rather, you can buy your own CPAP machine online.