Something You May Not Know About Sleep Apnea

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a common sleep disorder characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep. According to the National Institute of Health, sleep apnea affects over 12 million Americans. Risk factors consist of being male, overweight, a narrowed airway, family history, alcohol use, smoking, certain medications and being over the age of forty.

In sleep apnea, the person's breathing stops for 10 to 20 seconds or gets very shallow, resulting in decreased blood oxygen saturation. When the lungs do not receive sufficient air, the oxygen level in the blood drops and normal breaths sound like a snort or choking noise.

Systemic Inflammation Is Apparent In Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is linked to systemic and airway inflammation. The underlying inflammation in sleep apnea has been attributed to upper airway mechanical tissue injury and to systemic hypoxemia (low concentration of oxygen in blood). Here are the recent supporting evidence:

--Patients with sleep apnea showed augmented oxidative stress, which puts a burden on the antioxidant systems.

--Increased circulating levels of inflammatory marker C-reactive protein (CRP) have been reported in adults as well as in children with sleep apnea. The CRP levels are reduced with effective treatment.

--Immune cells of sleep apnea patients make increased inflammatory cytokines.

--Elevated levels of inflammatory cytokines correlate with the degree of sleepiness and the severity of hypoxia.

--Hypoxia during sleep causes lipid oxidation and heart muscle dysfunction.

Inflammation Connects COPD And Sleep Apnea

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airway and the lungs. Recent studies have shown that COPD also involves systemic inflammation and oxidative stress. OSA shares several important features with COPD.

--20% of patients with sleep apnea have COPD;

--10% of sleep apnea is disclosed in COPD patients;

--63% of sleep apnea patients have history of smoking, a predisposing factor for both sleep apnea and COPD;

--Both COPD and sleep apnea are critically involved in establishing cardiovascular and metabolic disorders.

Inflammation Connects Sleep Apnea And Metabolic Disorders

Sleep apnea is frequently associated with obesity and increased incidence of type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome. Studies suggest that inflammation is a common pathway connecting sleep apnea, obesity and metabolic syndrome synergistically.

Other health conditions associated with sleep apnea include memory problems, weight gain, impotency, headaches and psychosocial distress. Apparently, these conditions all have pro-inflammatory states.

Sleep Apnea May Lead To Cardiovascular Problems And Cognitive Impairment

Sleep apnea is viewed as a serious health condition because it may trigger life-threatening complications such as heart disease and stroke. Recent study suggests that older women with sleep-disordered breathing had an increased risk of developing cognitive impairment.

Rapid drops in blood oxygen levels (hypoxia or hypoxemia) during sleep apnea increase blood pressure and strain the cardiovascular system. If you have obstructive sleep apnea, your risk of high blood pressure increases two to three times than if you don't. The more severe is your sleep apnea, the greater is the risk of high blood pressure. Sleep apnea also boosts the risk of stroke, despite whether you have high blood pressure.

If you already have underlying heart disease, multiple episodes of low blood oxygen can trigger irregular heartbeat (cardiac arrhythmias), heart attack (myocardial infarction), even a sudden death.

Treating Sleep Apnea To Avoid Cardiovascular Events

There are different treatment options for sleep apnea. For milder cases of sleep apnea, lifestyle changes such as losing weight or quitting smoking or drinking may be effective. If these measures do not improve your signs and symptoms or if your apnea is moderate to severe, many other treatments are available. Certain devices, i.e., Continuous Positive Airway Pressure or Adjustable Airway Pressure Devices, may help open up a blocked airway.

Surgery offers another approach to open up the airway which removes excess tissue from your nose or throat that may be blocking your air passages and causing sleep apnea.

Anti-inflammatory Remedies For Sleep Apnea Relief

Alternative treatments for sleep apnea focus on stress relief and sleep support. Acupuncture or natural sleeping aid remedies can relieve mild symptoms. Anti-inflammatory remedies, however, offer a novel approach that may deliver long-term solutions to sleep apnea sufferers.

By cooling inflammation, anti-inflammatory remedies may:

--Reduce oxidative stress and restore the body's antioxidant defense;

--Neutralize noxious toxins and relieve fatigue;

--Help improve vascular, metabolic, respiratory functions;

--Increase blood flow and oxygen supplies to the body and brain.

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