Sleep apnea syndrome: symptoms, types, causes and treatment.

A syndrome that affects the quality of breathing while sleeping.

Sleep-related disorders can significantly interfere with a person's daily life, producing symptoms such as daytime sleepiness, excessive tiredness and unrefreshing sleep.

In this article we will learn about sleep apnea syndrome, a disorder that affects breathing during sleep.. We will see its types, symptoms, possible causes and treatments.

Sleep apnea syndrome: what is it?

An apnea is an episode of interruption of breathing. Thus, the sleep apnea syndrome is an ailment of breathing and sleep, which comes from the repeated collapse of the upper respiratory tract. The result it produces are a series of pauses in breathing during sleep..

Sleep apnea can occur in all ages, although it is most often suffered by men. Depending on the type of syndrome, it is more common when overweight (in obstructive apnea syndrome and central alveolar hypoventilation syndrome) and in older people (in central apnea syndrome).

The diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea syndrome are essential to achieve a more restorative night's sleep, to be more awake during the day and to increase the patient's quality of life.

Types

Before discussing the different forms of sleep apnea syndrome, let's define three key concepts to understand the differences between the types of syndromes:

• Apneaare episodes of interrupted breathing.
• HypoapneasThis is abnormally slow or shallow breathing.
• HypoventilationHypoventilation: abnormal O2 (oxygen) and CO2 (carbon dioxide) levels.

Thus, the three types of sleep disorders related to breathing (and that collects ICD-10 and DSM) are:

Obstructive apnea syndrome 2.

Apneas or hypoapneas occur due to obstruction of the upper airways.

2. Central apnea syndrome

There are apneas or hypoapneas without airway obstruction.

3. Central alveolar hypoventilation syndrome

There is Hypoventilation without apneas or hypoapneas..

Symptoms

The most common symptoms of the sleep apnea syndrome are are:

• Daytime sleepiness.
• Morning headache.
• Loud or loud snoring.
• Wheezing during sleep.
• Difficulty staying alert.
• depression

In addition, often the bed partner (even someone who sleeps close to the person) may be the first person to notice the problem, hearing loud snoring and noticing the person's "struggle" to breathe during sleep, coupled with shortness of breath.The person may be the first to notice the problem, by hearing loud snoring and noticing the person's "struggle" to breathe while sleeping, along with shortness of breath.

On the other hand, family members, as well as study or work colleagues, may notice that the person is tired during the day. the person is tired during the day (daytime sleepiness), or that it is difficult to stay alert or awake. All these signs may be symptoms of sleep apnea syndrome and should not be ignored when seeking medical attention.

Causes

The most common cause of sleep apnea syndrome is a partial or complete obstruction of the flow of breathed air, caused by relaxation of the muscles surrounding the throat and tongue..

Sleep apnea syndrome can be life-threatening, when associated with irregular heartbeat, high Blood pressure, heart attack and stroke.i.e., it can even lead to death.

It is most often related to obesity and aging (the latter in some cases).

Treatment

The treatment of sleep apnea syndrome can be of several types:

1. Behavioral approaches

These types of approaches may be effective for people with mild to moderate sleep apnea, and would include the following guidelines: 1.and would include the following guidelines:

• Losing weight can help improve breathing and sometimes reduces incidents of breathing pauses.
• Exercising helps with weight loss and can help the lungs work better.
• Avoid alcohol, nicotine, sleeping pills and antihistamines.
• Sleeping on your side rather than your back relieves pressure on the airway. Pillows or other means can also be used.

2. Physical appliances

Physical devices can also be effective and can be used individually or and used individually or in combination with the above:

Continuous Positive Nasal Airway Pressure (CPAP) 2.1.

Sometimes it can be very effective to use this mask sealed over the nose and mouth, or just over the nose. How does it work? The mask blows air into the upper airway so that the upper airway does not collapse so that the upper airway does not collapse while the patient sleeps.

2.2. Dental or oral appliances

These can be used to create an unobstructed airway, and can be prescribed for patients with mild to moderate sleep apnea.

3. Other treatments

Other treatments that may be effective for sleep apnea syndrome include:

3.1. Surgical procedures.

They can be considered to permanently widen the airway. the airway; however, they are not always effective.

3.2. Pharmacological treatments

These do not really exist at present. However, although oxygen can produce improvements, it is not in itself considered an effective treatment. is not considered an effective treatment.

Bibliographic references:

• Amigo, I. (2012). Manual de Psicología de la Salud. Madrid: Pirámide.
• Pérez, M.; Fernández, J.R.; Fernández, C. and Amigo, I. (2010). Guía de tratamientos psicológicos eficaces II: Psicología de la Salud. Madrid: Pirámide.
• National Sleep Foundation. (2018). Sleep apnea.