Sleep apnea
Do you think you might be suffering from sleep apnea? Then take the test and see immediately if you have an increased risk of this condition.
Disturbed breathing during sleep may indicate you suffer from this condition. Breathing can falter or even stop. We call such a falter an apnea. If apneas occur regularly during sleep, there is sleep apnea.
There are two types:
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA or OSAS)
With Obstructive Sleep Apnea, the airways are temporarily blocked by the tongue, the tonsils, the soft palate or the larynx. Because no breath can be taken, an alarm signal goes to the brain. The brain is alerted by this signal, so that the airways are unblocked and breathing continues. Then the brain comes to rest again. The person who sleeps does not realize all this, but if the brain receives an alarm signal several times a night, this certainly causes a strongly disturbed sleep.
Central Sleep Apnea (CSA)
Central Sleep Apnea is less common. CSA occurs when the respiratory muscles do not receive a signal from the brain to move. There is no blockage of the airway, but there is no breathing. There is therefore apnea and, as with OSA, this leads to a strongly disturbed sleep.
CSA often occurs in syndromes such as heart failure, cerebral infarction, neurological muscle diseases or when using narcotic drugs. But it also occurs in ‘just’ healthy people, and then we see it mainly in children or older people.
- Loud snoring, followed by a breath stop. Sometimes gasping for breath before normal breathing starts again.
- Restless sleep with restless legs
- Waking up tired
- Headache in the morning
- Low energy
- Fatigue and / or daytime sleepiness
- Mood swings and bad mood
- Concentration disorders and memory problems
- Forgetfulness
- High bloodpressure
- Palpitations
- Depression, being anxious
- Less desire for sex or impotence
- Dry mouth and / or sore throat
- Have to pee regularly during the night
- Night sweats
- Muscle strain
- Fearful dreams
- Other inexplicable physical symptoms
The effects
Oxygen levels in the blood can drop due to the nocturnal breathing problems. The brain, organs and blood temporarily receive less oxygen. This affects the quality of sleep and can be harmful to the cardiovascular system. In the short term, sleep apnea can lead to daytime fatigue and sleepiness and mood changes. People also often suffer from lack of energy, concentration problems and forgetfulness. People are less alert and this creates, for example, a greatly increased risk of car accidents.
In the long term, this can also cause high blood pressure, arrhythmias, depression, and even heart and brain attacks.
Do you want to know if you may have sleep apnea?
