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Introduction to Sleep Apnea
What is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep Apnea refers to cessation of breathing
during sleep. In Hong Kong, an estimated 300,000 people
(which is 5% of the population) suffer from this disease.
The word “apnea” is derived from Greek, which means “without breath”.
A person with sleep apnea stops breathing repeatedly while sleeping,
anywhere from 10 seconds to sometimes over a minute. For mild cases,
the above event occurs five times per hour while for some severe cases,
it may occur up to 10 times. Due to inadequate oxygen supply, the
brain and other organs may lack oxygen and some individuals may
wake up during sleep. Although an individual may not recall waking
up, sleep is disrupted temporarily. As a result, sleep
deprivation and excessive daytime sleepiness occur. Without sufficient q
uality sleep, excessive daytime fatigue will happen and interfere with
daytime tasks such as work, school and social interactions. People
who have to operate heavy machineries or drive vehicles will be at
risk of having serious accidents.
| Types of Sleep Apnea |
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There are three types of sleep apnea: obstructive, central and mixed.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common and severe form. This type
of apnea occurs when the airway closes and remains obstructed, resulting
in blocked airflow. As the drive to breathe increases, both the diaphragm and
chest muscles work harder, while blood pressure rises and the heart may beat
irregularly or even pause for several seconds. Physical abnormalities are usually
the cause of OSA. Excessive pharyngeal tissue, an overly large tongue, a
congenitally small airway, or fatty deposits along the left and right tonsillar
areas are often found to be the reason.
In central sleep apnea, the brain actually fails to signal the muscles to breathe.
This type of apnea can become more common with age and is associated with both
heart disease and neurological disorders.
Mixed sleep apnea is a combination of central and obstructive sleep apnea.
This disorder initially occurs as central sleep apnea; but quickly changes
when the diaphragm suddenly begins moving, the airway is blocked by an obstruction.
It is not uncommon for a sleep disorder specialist to see all three types of apnea
occurring in one night.
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Symptoms of Sleep Apnea
- Loud constant snoring or cessation of breath during sleep
- Excessive daytime fatigue
- Morning headaches
- Difficult to concentrate
- Deteriorated memory
- Reduced libido
- High blood pressure
- A dry mouth upon awakening
- Frequent nocturnal urination (nocturia)
High Risk Group
If you are suffering from cardiopulmonary problems,
severe rhinitis, obesity, irregular thyroid gland
excretion or having short chin and large tonsil (more common
for children), be cautious and check whether you have symptoms
of sleep apnea.
What are its consequences
Sleep apnea increases the risk of cardiovascular disease,
leading to heart failure, heart attack and stroke. For
individuals whose age are above 60, they may suffer from
hypertension as well. Besides, sufferers of severe
sleep apnea are two to three times more likely to be involved
in auto accidents than the general population, mainly due to
falling asleep while driving.
Epworth Sleepiness Scale
Below shows a quick simple test to screen for sleep apnea.
How often do you become sleepy or fallen asleep when doing
the following activities? Please grade each of the following
items from ‘0’ to ‘3’
( 0-never; 1-rarely, 2-sometimes, 3-very often)
1. Reading
2. Watching TV
3. Sit down in public area (e.g. park/ cinema)
4. In public transportation more than 1 hour
5. Lying down and taking a rest
6. Sit down and talking with people
7. Taking a rest after meal (with no alcohol taken)
8. Stop and waiting for the traffic light when driving
If you score more than 9, it is very likely that you are having sleep
apnea. This test is for your reference only. You should go to consult
a sleep specialist to arrange a sleep test for precise and detailed result.
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