Sleep Apnea: Causes and Types | How to Treat At Home Naturally?

22 Mar Sleep Apnea: Causes and Types | How to Treat At Home Naturally?

Loud snoring accompanied by fatigue and daytime sleepiness can be a sign of sleep apnea.

Is it hard to find your sweet, comforting, goodnight sleep or do you wake up in the middle of the night gasping for air? Does your sleeping partner often fuss over your loud snoring habits?

Well, there are chances of you slipping into the grips of ‘Sleep Apnea’. 

This sleep disorder can be dangerous if left untreated. 

In this blog, you’ll find everything you need to know about sleep apnea, starting with the types of sleep apnea, its causes, symptoms, and treatment. 

What Is Sleep Apnea?

In medical terms, sleep apnea is a serious sleeping disorder in which the patient finds it difficult to sleep because of disrupted breathing. 

If you don’t wake up feeling refreshed in the morning or feel tired after waking up, you might be suffering from sleep apnea.

Moreover, loud snoring is also attributed as one of the symptoms of sleep apnea. 

Yet, it might be relieving for you to know snoring alone does not mean you have sleep apnea. 

Now that you have understood the definition of sleep apnea, let’s discuss various factors responsible for it. 

Causes Of Sleep Apnea

Causes of sleep apnea vary with the types of sleep apnea about which we will talk in the latter part of the blog.

In general, here are some common causes of sleep apnea:

1. Obesity or overweight.
2. Smoking.
3. Old age.
4. Alcohol and other sedative beverages.
5. Neck Circumference: People with thicker necks may have a narrow passage for air.
6. Family History.
7. Nasal congestion.
8. Pre-existing medical conditions, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, or Parkinson’s disease.

Let’s have a detailed look at these sleep apnea factors.

#1. Obesity

Weight has a major role to play when it comes to sleep apnea. Fat deposited around the neck puts pressure on the airway and makes it difficult to breathe. 

#2. Smoking

If you smoke frequently, you are at a higher risk of developing sleep apnea.

Smoking not only disrupts the circadian rhythm but also damages the upper airway muscle function, increasing mucus congestion leading to difficulty in breathing. 

#3. Old Age

Although sleep apnea can occur at any age, it is more common among older people. According to sleep apnea research, around 13 to 32% of people above 65 years have sleep apnea. 

 #4. Alcohol

If you are used to alcohol consumption, you are more likely to get sleep apnea. A study shows whether or not you have sleep apnea, moderate to heavy drinking can obstruct your sleep. 

Additionally, drinking relaxes your muscles, causing your upper airway to collapse. Plus, it may also lead to difficulty in breathing. 

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#5. Neck Circumference

It may seem odd but the size of your neck may determine the risk of various sleep disorders, including sleep apnea. 

Interestingly, neck circumference greater than 16 inches in women and 17 inches in men is one of the risk factors of sleep apnea.

#6. Family History

Sleep apnea and indices of sleep apnea are heritable. 

Studies suggest there could be a possible genetic influence. Hence, having a family member with sleep apnea could increase your chances of developing the disorder yourself. 

#7. Nasal Congestion

Constant or chronic nasal congestion could interrupt a good nights’ sleep. 

Stuffy nose or nasal congestion gives way to a blocked airway, causing you to gasp for air at several intervals. 

It’s a risk factor for sleep apnea and increases the chances of developing a sleep disorder.

#8. Pre-Existing Medical Conditions

Pre-existing medical conditions like:

• Type 2 diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Parkinson’s disease
• Asthma
• Polycystic ovary

These conditions can add to the risk of developing sleep apnea. 

Moreover, constant disruption in your sleep schedule makes sleep apnea potentially a severe sleeping disorder. 

Although it can happen to anyone, certain factors induce the risk of sleep apnea.

Risk Factors In Sleep Apnea

Risk factors of sleep apnea vary with the types of sleep apnea. In general, here are some risks associated with the sleeping disorder:

• High blood pressure.
• Heart diseases, including irregular heartbeat, congestive heart failure, or heart attack.
• Stroke or Brain Hemorrhage.
• Brain Damage.
• Diabetes.
• Death.

All the above-mentioned risks can affect the breathing process and cause interruption during sleep. 

Sleep apnea can, in fact, cause severe health issues if left untreated.

But before you rush to see the doctor, it’s better to be aware of the kind of sleep apnea you’re dealing with. 

Types Of Sleep Apnea (Symptoms, Causes, Treatment)

Based on the symptoms and severity of the disease, medical professionals have identified three different types of sleep apnea.

a) Obstructive Sleep Apnea

b) Central Sleep Apnea

c) Mixed Sleep Apnea

#1. What Is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)?

It is the most common type of sleep apnea and is often referred to as OSA in short form. 

Obstructive sleep apnea starts with the unwinding of the muscles toward the rear of the throat. 

So, this unwinding makes your air passage route congested as you breathe in and accordingly, brings down oxygen levels in your blood.

The body will frequently stir now, trying to reopen the airway. 

Although you may not recollect awakening, this process may recur throughout the night, harming your capacity to get appropriate rest.

Causes Of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

Factors that may lead to obstructive rest apnea include hypersensitivities (allergies), hypothyroidism, and a digressed septum.

Inherited physical factors additionally often add to the condition. 

Adding to this, Obstructive sleep apnea is more frequent in overweight people, individuals who have bigger necks with narrow throat structures, or individuals with bigger tongues.

Here are some signs to look out for.

Symptoms Of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

OSA turns out to be more prevalent with age and is predominant in males, overweight individuals, pregnant women, and individuals who rest on their backs.

Some Common Symptoms Of Obstructive Sleep Apnea are:

1. Waking during rest or feeling drained out after waking up from sleep.
2. Snoring or gasping for air during sleep
3. Headaches
4. Feeling dryness in the mouth after waking.
5. Confusion or lack of concentration at work or school.
6. Mood swings 
7. Anxiety and Depression
8. Excessive sweating at night time
9. Frequent urination at night
10. Sexual dysfunction

Dangers Of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

Obstructive sleep apnea can cause some complications that can result in:

1. Sleepiness and fatigue throughout the day.
2. Medication or surgery complications.
3. High blood pressure.
4. Heart attack, stroke, and abnormal heartbeat.
5. Hypoxia (low level of oxygen).
6. Choking and gasping for air.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Treatments

Treating this type of sleep apnea requires fixing the obstacle that obstructs the airway. 

Sometimes, changing your sleep position is adequate. Others observe that getting slimmer, giving up on smoking, or getting physically fit can help reduce the symptoms.

Apart from these precautionary measures, there are some ways through which a patient can seek immediate relief. They are as follows:  

1. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP): It’s a mechanical device that supplies continuous air into your throat. A mask on the nose or mouth ensures uninterrupted breathing.
2. Surgery: Surgery can help by reshaping the airway passages or by getting rid of extra tissue in the throat region responsible for the blockage of the airway. 
3. Oral appliances: They do not allow the tongue to fall back against the palate, thus keeping the airway open. 
4. Medication: Some drugs like ‘Modafinil’ help those people who even after using a CPAP machine experience excessive sleepiness. But medicine cannot treat the underlying sleep apnea. 

While OSA is one of the more common sleep apnea types, there’s another type that disrupts your sleeping schedule quite a bit. Only the causes differ a bit!

#2. What Is Central Sleep Apnea?

Central sleep apnea likewise represses breathing in sleep, yet it doesn’t happen because of the upper air route blockage. The reason is neurological. 

Unlike OSA, Central Sleep Apnea does not cause snoring as nothing gets obstructed in sleep, rather the brain and the nervous system stop communicating with breathing organs. And, as a result, the person stops breathing. 

Causes of Central Sleep Apnea

Some known causes of Central Sleep Apnea are as follows: 

1. Sedating drugs, such as opiates.
2. High altitudes.
3. Congestive heart failure or brain strokes.
4. Medical conditions like end-stage kidney disease.
5. Using Continuous Positive Air Pressure.

Central Sleep Apnea Symptoms

The main symptom of Central Sleep Apnea is frequent pauses in breathing. However, it usually is not responsible for the snoring of which obstructive sleep apnea was.

Symptoms Of Central Sleep Apnea include:

1. Feeling exhausted during the day.
2. Waking up at night because of interrupted breathing
3. Early morning headaches.
4. Lack of concentration.
5. Mood swings and memory problems. 
6. Unable to exercise as usual.
7. Snoring.
8. Insomnia.
9. Daytime sleepiness.
10. Abnormal breathing patterns.

Apart from the symptoms and signs, here are some dangers of the sleeping disorder.

Dangers Of Central Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea, in general, affects men over 65 years of age as they are already vulnerable to other kinds of diseases.  

Some risks that come along with Central Sleep Apnea are as follows: 

• Congestive heart failure.
• Hypothyroid disease.
• Kidney failure.
• Neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease. 
• Damage to the brainstem from swelling, stroke, or injury.

Treatment of Central Sleep Apnea (CSA)

Certain devices recommended by the doctors, such as CPAP, Bi-level Positive Airway Pressure machine, or adaptive servo-ventilation can improve Central Sleep Apnea conditions.

Adding to it, medicines, such as acetazolamide and theophylline can stimulate breathing, but they certainly cannot cure it.

Some other ways to make you feel better under such circumstances are as follows:

1. Maintain healthy body weight.
2. Avoid alcohol and sleeping pills. It can make your airway more likely to collapse while you sleep.
3. Sleep on your side.
4. Use nasal sprays.
5. Sleep properly and for a suitable duration.

Now, the third and last among all the types of sleep apnea is mixed sleep apnea. This one carries the aspects of both OSA and central sleep apnea. 

#3. What is A Mixed/Complex Sleep Apnea? 

Mixed/Complex sleep apnea is a mix of both Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Central Sleep Apnea. 

In some patients, it has been found that after being diagnosed with OSA, they tend to develop CSA. 

In simple words, not only do they suffer from airway blockage but also their brain and the nervous system fail to communicate with the organs responsible for breathing. 

The symptoms and risk factors are similar to Obstructive Sleep Apnea. 

Treatment of Mixed/Complex Sleep Apnea

The treatment for complex sleep apnea disorder might include a mix of medications, including treatment for any basic conditions and the utilization of CPAP or other positive airway pressure modes.

At times when CPAP fails, BiPAP machines and adaptive servo-ventilation devices are used to stabilize the breathing. 

If you find these symptoms familiar, try to make some changes in your sleep position, adopt some lifestyle changes, and follow sleep hygiene. 

Generally, sleep disorders at the initial stage get cured with minor changes in your lifestyle. 

However, if the symptoms and problems continue to exist, it’s time to get it diagnosed.

How is Sleep Apnea Diagnosed/Tested?

Your primary care physician might make an assessment, depending on your signs and your sleep history. These details can also come from somebody who shares your bed or your family member, if conceivable.

You’re probably going to be sent to a sleep disorder center. There, a sleep specialist will determine the need for additional assessment.

An assessment includes observing your breathing regularly and other body capacities during your sleep. Home sleep testing may be an option. 

Tests to distinguish sleep apnea include:

#1. Nocturnal Polysomnography 

During this test, you sleep, wearing equipment that screens your heart, lung, and cerebrum action, breathing patterns, leg and arm movements, and blood oxygen levels while you sleep.

#2. Home Rest Tests

Your doctor may suggest some simplistic tests to be conducted at home to analyze sleep apnea. These tests, as a rule, measure your pulse, blood oxygen level, airflow, and breathing patterns.

Assuming the outcomes are unusual, your primary care physician can recommend treatment without further testing.

Furthermore, your doctor may refer you to an ENT specialist to preclude blockage in your nose or throat if he suspects that you may be suffering from OSA.

An assessment by a heart specialist (cardiologist) or a specialist who works in the sensory system (nervous system specialist) may be important to search for purposes of central sleep apnea.

While these treatments are highly effective and relieving, contemporary ways to reduce sleep apnea symptoms also show positive results at the beginning of the appearance of symptoms.

How To Treat Sleep Apnea Naturally At Home?

Many of us might not be comfortable with the idea of sleeping with a mask on our faces. 

So, here are a few home remedies that can ease the symptoms of sleep apnea without using CPAP.

Mild Sleep Apnea can be treated by making a few changes in your lifestyle:

1. Lose weight
2. Avoid using alcohol 
3. Try different sleeping positions
4. Epsom salt bath
5. Use honey
6. Adopt sleep hygiene
7. Use humidifier
8. Quit smoking
9. Treat your allergies
10. Practice breathing yoga

For more clarity, let’s discuss these points in detail.

#1. Lose Weight

If you’re overweight, losing some pounds might help you in reducing the symptoms of sleep apnea. 

To elaborate, the throat of overweight people has additional tissue in the back of their throat. 

This extra tissue blocks their airway while sleeping. Therefore, maintaining the right weight can also protect you from having a sleep disorder.

#2. Don’t Use Alcohol And Sleeping Pills

Drinking alcohol creates its own blockage. 

That is to say, alcohol relaxes the muscles of the throat and hence, creates a blockage. So, if you have sleep apnea, drinking alcohol, especially before sleeping, won’t be a wise choice.

#3. Try Different Sleeping Positions 

Sleeping positions have a lot to do with snoring. Notably, people who sleep on their back comparatively snore more than those who sleep on their sides. 

To explain, when people sleep on their back, the throat and tongue muscles block the upper airway and interrupt the normal airflow. 

Hence, sleeping on the side can create a difference and help you sleep peacefully.

#4. Stop Smoking 

Smoking is not good for your health. This includes an interrupted sleep cycle as well. Smoking creates water retention in the throat and forms mucus. 

Adding to this, smoking increases inflammation in the throat as well. Thus, quitting smoking can help you with sleep apnea symptoms.

#5. Treat Allergies

Notably, treating allergies may not cure sleep apnea. However, it can undoubtedly reduce the symptoms of sleep apnea. 

The fact that allergies and sleep apnea share identical symptoms, allergies when left untreated can trigger sleep apnea. 

Likewise, treating allergies can relax the symptoms of sleep apnea.

#6. Use Honey To Soothe Your Throat

Honey has anti-inflammatory properties. And additionally, it assists in aiding the swelling of the throat. 

Not only this, but it also lubricates the throat and helps in treating snoring. 

To treat sleep apnea at home, take 1 spoon of raw honey and mix it with warm water. Drink it before going to bed and sleep soundly.

#7. Use Epsom Salt

Tiredness is one of the major reasons for snoring. So, if you are looking for sufficient sleep hours, you can try a hot bath using Epsom salt. 

To elaborate, Epsom salt contains magnesium, which relaxes your muscles and helps you enjoy relaxing sleep.

In fact, it has been traditionally practiced for generations for more comfortable sleep.

#8. Practice Breathing Yoga

Practicing breathing yoga exercises is one of the effective home remedies to treat sleep apnea. 

Throat exercises tighten the muscles and clear the airway. 

Regularly practicing breathing yoga and breathing exercises can help you treat sleeping disorders and snoring in the long run.

#9. Use Humidifier

Dry air can irritate your throat. Hence, adding moisture to the air can relax your respiratory tract and reduce snoring. 

Using a humidifier can improve clear breathing and decrease congestion. Moreover, for additional benefits, you can add lavender or peppermint oil.

#10. Adopt Sleep Hygiene

Adopting sleep hygiene like washing feet, changing bed sheets, switching off the lights before sleeping, and meditating a few hours before going to bed can help you have sound sleep. 

Most of the time, you can treat sleep apnea at an initial stage by making minor changes. Therefore, adopting sleep hygiene will help you relax, reduce tiredness, and sleep peacefully.

All in all, occasional snoring is not a health concern. It often is the result of tiredness and stress. 

However, if you are prone to snoring issues, along with other symptoms and underlying health issues, it’s better to consult a doctor to avoid choking and gasping in the middle of the night.

What’s The Outlook?

Sleep Apnea can be deadly in some cases if not treated. Even if it is not deadly, it certainly can be a mood spoiler. 

Nobody wants to wake up from their blissful sleep feeling drowsy, less energetic, and with a headache. 

If you feel like you may be suffering from sleep apnea, try bringing some changes to your lifestyle. 

Pick up healthy eating and healthy drinking habits. And even then, if the symptoms persist, please visit your doctor and get your sleeping pattern diagnosed. 

Untreated sleep problems can adversely influence your physical and emotional health. Sleep testing can assist you with finding the right solutions to your problems.

We hope this blog assists you in finding clarity. Leave your comments down below to let us know what more questions you have. 

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