Written by Dr. Aisha Harris
Sleep apnea is one of those hidden medical problems that more people have than they think. It creeps up on adults and even children as a cause for poor sleep and other risk factors. Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder where people can stop and start breathing in the middle of sleeping multiple times. It is a common sleep disorder that impacts over 30 million people in Americans, BUT only six million are properly diagnosed.
Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the airway is blocked during sleep and is more common than central sleep apnea, which is when the brain does not send breathing signals during sleeping. With obstructive sleep apnea, snoring is the most common symptom and often people report loud snoring or partners that say they stop breathing while sleeping.
Some of the risk factors for obstructive sleep apnea are obesity, large neck, being of the male sex and structural airway abnormalities. Common symptoms associated with sleep apnea include snoring, choking, gasping during sleep, daytime sleepiness and morning headaches.
Excessive daytime sleepiness looks different at different levels. It could include potentially falling asleep while driving, talking, sitting inactive, reading and even watching TV. Individuals who have some or all of these symptoms should ask their doctor if they are at risk of obstructive sleep apnea or should get screened for sleep apnea.
Screening for obstructive sleep apnea is through a sleeping test either completed at home or in a facility to help determine the quality of sleep and how many times someone potentially stops breathing at night.
There are a normal amount of breathing pauses that people can have at night that the body recovers from, but if someone has too many breathing pauses or stops then they are diagnosed with sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea is treated through a sleeping machine that is worn at night to help keep the airway open and decrease breathing pauses through positive airway pressure therapy. Additionally, some people may need surgery to help treat their sleep apnea if there is obstructive anatomy like enlarged tonsils.
Children can also have sleep apnea. Children should not snore, and if you know or have a child that snores they should be evaluated for sleep apnea. A common cause of sleep apnea in children is due to tonsils which are often removed if a child is found to have sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea can cause poor quality sleep and tiredness, but can also increase with risk of other health problems. Sleep apnea can increase a person’s risks of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and obesity, to name a few. So, it’s not just feeling tired that is linked to sleep apnea.
There are other medical problems that can be negatively impacted by poorly controlled sleep apnea.
If you have sleep apnea hopefully you are using your sleeping machine regularly to prevent complications and poor health outcomes. Additionally, sleeping machines should be cleaned regularly to prevent other problems like infections and allergies. If you are concerned about sleep apnea or have poor sleep, talk to your doctor about getting a sleep evaluation.
Dr. Aisha Harris, MD, is a Flint native and board-certified family medicine doctor at Harris Family Health in Flint, Michigan. Harris Family Health is a membership-based clinic that provides personalized and full primary care to adults and children. Learn more about Harris Family Health by visiting www.harrisfamilyhealth.com. Feel free to submit health questions to Dr. Harris via theflintcouriernews@gmail.com.
