Central Sleep Apnea

Central sleep apnea is a condition in which the brain fails to tell the muscles in the air passageways to open and allow the passage of air. This is a much rarer form of sleep apnea, especially when compared to obstructive sleep apnea, which is a condition in which there is a blockage limiting air flow. About 10 percent or less of people who suffer from sleep apnea suffer from this form of the condition.

View CPAP mask selections.

Those suffering from this form of sleep apnea are likely to notice several symptoms:

• Someone has seen your breathing stop or has seen abnormal breathing patterns while you are sleeping.
• Difficulty staying asleep, often mistaken for severe insomnia
• Waking up suddenly, usually accompanied by shortness of breath
• Fatigue during the day
• Inability to catch your breath while sleeping or waking up
• Trouble concentrating; a slip of mental faculties or memory problems during the day and other sleep deprivation symptoms.

In some patients their condition is caused by a neurological condition. In these situations, you may experience lightheadedness when standing up from lying down, problems swallowing and numbness in various areas of the body.

If you have these symptoms of sleep apnea, seek out a doctor's care.

Sleep apnea in this form happens when messages fail to be transmitted by the brain to the muscles in the throat which control your breathing. The underlying problem usually lies in the brainstem. The brainstem is highly important in regulating breathing, heart beat and virtually every other function.

Several types of problems can cause this loss of communication:

• Idiopathic Central Sleep Apnea: This particular type of sleep apnea has unknown causes. People who have it experience breathing that stops and starts often.
• Cheyne-Strokes: In this form, the patient has a rhythmic, slowly increasing and then decreasing breathing pattern. It is often found in patients who have congestive heart failure or have had a stroke. At the worst moments, there is no air passing through the air passageway.
• Medically-Induced: This type of sleep apnea can be caused by any medical condition including illness and injury that is happens to the part of the brainstem that controls breathing. This may be from infections, injuries to the area, tumors and even degenerative brain disorders.
• Drug-Induced: Another form of central apnea is caused by medications such as oxycodone, codeine, or morphine (or others) that cause breathing to become irregular. There may be a pattern or it may be random. All breathing can stop for short periods of time.

Some people are more likely to develop this form of sleep apnea. This includes people who have heart disorders (including congestive heart failure and arterial fibrillation.) Up to 40 percent of men with congestive heart failure will have central sleep apnea.

Men are more likely than women to have any type of sleep apnea. Additionally, those who have had a stroke, neuromuscular disorder or brain tumor are also more likely to develop the condition. Those exposed to high altitudes (above 15,000 feet) may also develop the condition.

Those who have sleep apnea need treatment since the stoppage of breathing leads to the inability to sleep and possible complications. There are several treatments for sleep apnea:

• Doctors will first treat other conditions causing the condition. For example, if a heart condition is the cause, the heart condition's improvement may allow for improvement of the sleep apnea.
• Improvement of medications may be considered. Patients taking opiate medications may have them changed. Some medications are available to help stimulate breathing in patients with sleep apnea. Acetzolamide is often a prescription for those dealing with sleep apnea caused by high elevations.
• Administration of oxygen may be necessary especially if the condition has worsened to a point where the body is not receiving enough oxygen.
• Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) devices may be used. These use air pressure to keep the air passages open with the use of nasal inserts or a mask placed over the patient's nose.

Doctors can treat most forms of sleep apnea including the central form. Treatments can be successful especially when they are in use early on. Seek out your doctor's care and direction on how to treat the condition.

• Sleep Requirements by Age
• Sleep Apnea Full Face Masks
• Foods Containing L-Tryptophan
• Why Is Sleep Important

• Pure Sleep
• Melatonin Forums
• How to Put Someone to Sleep
• Stop Snoring Mouthpiece
• How Long Can You Live Without Sleep

• Obstructive Sleep Apnea
• Symptoms Sleep Apnea
• Severe Sleep Apnea
• Hampton Sleep Apnea
• Chesapeake Sleep Apnea