Particularly among men sleep apnea is linked with
Depression & Other Sleep Apnea Related Conditions in Men
Physicians agree that sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea, and certain health issues are closely linked. If you are a man, there are specific health issues that you'll need to watch closely. Men experiencing sleep disorders have unique health needs. The most research indicates links between conditions such as sleep apnea and heart problems, testosterone production and depression. The latest men’s health research, released in 2015, shows new links between sleep disorders and serious medical conditions.
The Link Between Sleep Apnea and Depression in MenThough depression itself is more common in women, it poses a very real men’s health issue. Particularly among men, sleep apnea is linked with depression. It's a mental health concern that shouldn't be ignored and often leads to a diminished quality of life, along with a wide array of related health conditions.
Depression often goes undiagnosed and untreated in men, and this can lead to more serious problems, including worsening of depression symptoms.
A new Australian study reveals that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may be a significant risk factor for depression in men. Obstructive sleep apnea causes airways to be blocked briefly during sleep, causing decreased oxygen levels and disrupted sleep.
This study, presented by the American Thoracic Society International Conference, concluded that men with OSA and excessive daytime sleepiness are four to five times more likely to suffer from depression, compared to men with normal sleep patterns.
Taking into account other potential risk factors, this study confirmed that there is indeed a strong relationship between OSA and depression in men. The study suggested that men with OSA should be screened for depression.
If you think that you may be experiencing depression due to sleep apnea, or if you have not been diagnosed and think you are at risk, contact one of our Board Certified eos sleep physicians to discuss diagnosis and treatment options so that you can start sleeping and living better.
Researchers recognize the link to sleep apnea and significant health concerns, for both men and women, for some time. Heart problems, high blood pressure, diabetes and increased risk of stroke are all linked to untreated sleep apnea. There are however, additional health concerns that are specific to men.
OSA has been tied to male-specific hormonal issues such as decreased testosterone production. These hormonal imbalances can lead to a host of serious side effects. Addressing the symptoms, rather than the condition that caused it, can lead to further health issues.
Treatments like testosterone therapy have been linked to serious health concerns like enlarged prostates and even prostate cancer. Treating the sleep apnea, rather than embarking on testosterone therapy, has been shown to be the more effective option.
Testosterone issues are not the only concern for men with sleep apnea. Before the age of 45, high blood pressure is more likely to be experienced by men rather than women.
The links between sleep apnea and high blood pressure and other related conditions are well established. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to heart disease, the leading cause of death in America.
Sleep apnea affects both men and women, but it is far more common in men. Snoring and lack of sleep can be annoying, but, more importantly, they can greatly impact your overall health.
If you experience snoring and think that you may have sleep apnea, take our Berlin quiz to assess your risk. There is no reason to live with the risk and diverse treatment options are now available.
To set up an appointment to speak to a board certified eos sleep physician, contact us today. You’ll soon be on your way to better sleep, and better health.
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Sleep apnea - Diagnosis and treatment
Diagnosis
Your doctor may make an evaluation based on your signs and symptoms and a sleep history, which you can provide with help from someone who shares your bed or your household, if possible.
You're likely to be referred to a sleep disorder center. There, a sleep specialist can help you determine your need for further evaluation.
An evaluation often involves overnight monitoring at a sleep center of your breathing and other body functions during sleep. Home sleep testing also might be an option. Tests to detect sleep apnea include:
- Nocturnal polysomnography. During this test, you're hooked up to equipment that monitors your heart, lung and brain activity, breathing patterns, arm and leg movements, and blood oxygen levels while you sleep.
-
Home sleep tests. Your doctor might provide you with simplified tests to be used at home to diagnose sleep apnea. These tests usually measure your heart rate, blood oxygen level, airflow and breathing patterns.
If the results are abnormal, your doctor might be able to prescribe a therapy without further testing. Portable monitoring devices don't detect all cases of sleep apnea, however, so your doctor might still recommend polysomnography even if your initial results are normal.
If you have obstructive sleep apnea, your doctor might refer you to an ear, nose and throat doctor to rule out blockage in your nose or throat. An evaluation by a heart doctor (cardiologist) or a doctor who specializes in the nervous system (neurologist) might be necessary to look for causes of central sleep apnea.
More Information
- Polysomnography (sleep study)
Treatment
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)
To eliminate snoring and prevent sleep apnea, your doctor may recommend a device called a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. A CPAP machine delivers just enough air pressure to a mask to keep your upper airway passages open, preventing snoring and sleep apnea.
For milder cases of sleep apnea, your doctor may recommend only lifestyle changes, such as losing weight or quitting smoking. If you have nasal allergies, your doctor will recommend treatment for your allergies.
If these measures don't improve your signs and symptoms or if your apnea is moderate to severe, a number of other treatments are available.
Certain devices can help open up a blocked airway. In other cases, surgery might be necessary.
Therapies
-
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). If you have moderate to severe sleep apnea, you might benefit from using a machine that delivers air pressure through a mask while you sleep. With CPAP (SEE-pap), the air pressure is somewhat greater than that of the surrounding air and is just enough to keep your upper airway passages open, preventing apnea and snoring.
Although CPAP is the most common and reliable method of treating sleep apnea, some people find it cumbersome or uncomfortable. Some people give up on the CPAP machine, but with practice, most people learn to adjust the tension of the straps on the mask to obtain a comfortable and secure fit.
You might need to try more than one type of mask to find one that's comfortable. Don't stop using the CPAP machine if you have problems. Check with your doctor to see what changes can be made to increase your comfort.
Additionally, contact your doctor if you're still snoring or begin snoring again despite treatment. If your weight changes, the pressure settings of the CPAP machine might need to be adjusted.
- Other airway pressure devices. If using a CPAP machine continues to be a problem for you, you might be able to use a different type of airway pressure device that automatically adjusts the pressure while you're sleeping (auto-CPAP). Units that supply bilevel positive airway pressure (BPAP) also are available.
These provide more pressure when you inhale and less when you exhale. -
Oral appliances. Another option is wearing an oral appliance designed to keep your throat open. CPAP is more reliably effective than oral appliances, but oral appliances might be easier to use. Some are designed to open your throat by bringing your jaw forward, which can sometimes relieve snoring and mild obstructive sleep apnea.
A number of devices are available from your dentist. You might need to try different devices before finding one that works for you.
Once you find the right fit, you'll need to follow up with your dentist repeatedly during the first year and then regularly after that to ensure that the fit is still good and to reassess your signs and symptoms.
- Treatment for associated medical problems. Possible causes of central sleep apnea include heart or neuromuscular disorders, and treating those conditions might help.
- Supplemental oxygen. Using supplemental oxygen while you sleep might help if you have central sleep apnea. Various forms of oxygen are available with devices to deliver oxygen to your lungs.
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Adaptive servo-ventilation (ASV). This more recently approved airflow device learns your normal breathing pattern and stores the information in a built-in computer. After you fall asleep, the machine uses pressure to normalize your breathing pattern and prevent pauses in your breathing.
ASV appears to be more successful than other forms of positive airway pressure at treating complex sleep apnea in some people. However, it might not be a good choice for people with predominant central sleep apnea and advanced heart failure.
You'll likely read, hear or see TV ads about different treatments for sleep apnea. Talk with your doctor about any treatment before you try it.
Surgery
Surgery is usually only an option after other treatments have failed. Generally, at least a three-month trial of other treatment options is suggested before considering surgery. However, for a small number of people with certain jaw structure problems, it's a good first option.
Surgical options might include:
-
Tissue removal. During this procedure (uvulopalatopharyngoplasty), your doctor removes tissue from the rear of your mouth and top of your throat. Your tonsils and adenoids usually are removed as well.
This type of surgery might be successful in stopping throat structures from vibrating and causing snoring. It's less effective than CPAP and isn't considered a reliable treatment for obstructive sleep apnea.
Removing tissues in the back of your throat with radiofrequency energy (radiofrequency ablation) might be an option if you can't tolerate CPAP or oral appliances.
- Tissue shrinkage. Another option is to shrink the tissue at the rear of your mouth and the back of your throat using radiofrequency ablation. This procedure might be used for mild to moderate sleep apnea. One study found this to have effects similar to that of tissue removal, but with fewer surgical risks.
- Jaw repositioning. In this procedure, your jaw is moved forward from the remainder of your face bones. This enlarges the space behind the tongue and soft palate, making obstruction less likely. This procedure is known as maxillomandibular advancement.
- Implants. Soft rods, usually made of polyester or plastic, are surgically implanted into the soft palate after you've received local anesthetic. More research is needed to determine how well implants work.
- Nerve stimulation. This requires surgery to insert a stimulator for the nerve that controls tongue movement (hypoglossal nerve).
The increased stimulation helps keep the tongue in a position that keeps the airway open. More research is needed. -
Creating a new air passageway (tracheostomy). You may need this form of surgery if other treatments have failed and you have severe, life-threatening sleep apnea. In this procedure, your surgeon makes an opening in your neck and inserts a metal or plastic tube through which you breathe.
You keep the opening covered during the day. But at night you uncover it to allow air to pass in and out of your lungs, bypassing the blocked air passage in your throat.
Other types of surgery may help reduce snoring and contribute to the treatment of sleep apnea by clearing or enlarging air passages:
- Surgery to remove enlarged tonsils or adenoids
- Weight-loss (bariatric) surgery
More Information
- CPAP machines: Tips for avoiding 10 common problems
- Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty
- Septoplasty
- Tonsillectomy
- Tracheostomy
- CPAP: How it works
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Clinical trials
Explore Mayo Clinic studies testing new treatments, interventions and tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage this condition.
Lifestyle and home remedies
In some cases, self-care might be a way for you to deal with obstructive sleep apnea and possibly central sleep apnea. Try these tips:
- Lose excess weight. Even a slight weight loss might help relieve constriction of your throat. In some cases, sleep apnea can resolve if you return to a healthy weight, but it can recur if you regain the weight.
- Exercise. Regular exercise can help ease the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea even without weight loss. Try to get 30 minutes of moderate activity, such as a brisk walk, most days of the week.
- Avoid alcohol and certain medications such as tranquilizers and sleeping pills. These relax the muscles in the back of your throat, interfering with breathing.
- Sleep on your side or abdomen rather than on your back. Sleeping on your back can cause your tongue and soft palate to rest against the back of your throat and block your airway.
To keep from rolling onto your back while you sleep, try attaching a tennis ball to the back of your pajama top. There are also commercial devices that vibrate when you roll onto your back in sleep. - Don't smoke. If you're a smoker, look for resources to help you quit.
More Information
- Sleep apnea and caffeine: Any connection?
Preparing for your appointment
If you or your partner suspects that you have sleep apnea, contact your primary care doctor. In some cases, you might be referred immediately to a sleep specialist.
Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment.
What you can do
When you make the appointment, ask if there's anything you need to do in advance, such as modify your diet or keep a sleep diary.
Make a list of:
- Your symptoms, including any that may seem unrelated to the reason for which you scheduled the appointment, and when they began
- Key personal information, including family history of a sleep disorder
- All medications, vitamins or supplements you take, including doses
- Questions to ask your doctor
Take a family member or friend along, if possible, to help you remember the information you receive.
Because your bed partner might be more aware of your symptoms than you are, it may help to have him or her along.
For sleep apnea, some questions to ask your doctor include:
- What's the most likely cause of my symptoms?
- What tests do I need? Do these tests require special preparation?
- Is my condition likely temporary or long lasting?
- What treatments are available?
- Which treatment do you think would be best for me?
- I have other health conditions. How can I best manage these conditions together?
- Should I see a specialist?
- Are there brochures or other printed material that I can have? What websites do you recommend?
What to expect from your doctor
Your doctor is likely to ask you questions, including:
- Have your symptoms been continuous, or do they come and go?
- How severe are your symptoms?
- How does your partner describe your symptoms?
- Do you know if you stop breathing during sleep? If so, how many times a night?
- Is there anything that has helped your symptoms?
- Does anything make your symptoms worse, such as sleep position or alcohol consumption?
What you can do in the meantime
- Try to sleep on your side.
- Avoid alcohol for four to six hours before bed.
- Don't take drugs that make you sleepy.
- If you're drowsy, avoid driving.
By Mayo Clinic Staff
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Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS)?
Obstructive sleep apnea is one of the most common sleep disorders that affects men and women of all ages, including infants and children, but is especially common in people who are overweight and after forty years of age. Almost 25 percent of men and 10 percent of women in Yekaterinburg suffer from sleep apnea to some degree. Even more alarming is the fact that the average life expectancy of patients with sleep apnea, without treatment, is 20 years less than the average life expectancy in the population. Moreover, about 80 percent of men and 93 percent of women with moderate to severe sleep apnea are unaware that they have such a serious condition.
Doctors speak of obstructive sleep apnea when the upper airways are completely blocked during sleep due to a significant narrowing of the lumen of the laryngopharynx, including excessive relaxation of the muscles of the laryngopharynx. If this condition is manifested by certain symptoms, then they speak of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (night apnea, sleep apnea).
Sleep apnea is characterized by loud snoring alternating with periods of silence when breathing stops or almost stops. After a certain period of time, which can range from 10 seconds to 2 minutes, the brain determines that a lack of oxygen and an excess of carbon dioxide are dangerous to health, and gives a wake-up signal or a sharp breath, accompanied by an "explosive" snoring. Despite the fact that, as a rule, a person does not wake up, such episodes of respiratory arrests are repeated several times, up to several hundred times a night, which sharply reduces the flow of oxygen to vital organs, disrupts the structure of sleep and causes heart rhythm disturbances.
Sleep apnea may also have a central origin. In this case, it is called central sleep apnea syndrome, since the cause of its occurrence is associated with the central nervous system. Unlike obstructive sleep apnea, with central sleep apnea, the airways are free for the passage of air, and respiratory arrest occurs due to impaired functioning of the respiratory center located in the brain. Obstructive sleep apnea is much more common than central sleep apnea.
Symptoms of sleep apnea.
As a rule, the first symptom of sleep apnea (snoring - pause in breathing - snoring) is indicated by the patient's relatives. Patients may not complain at all or may not associate them with sleep apnea.
The most common symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea include:
- Snoring alternating with pauses in breathing;
- Daytime sleepiness or fatigue;
- Restlessness during sleep;
- Sudden awakening with feeling of suffocation;
- Dry mouth or sore throat on waking;
- Intellectual disturbances such as trouble concentrating, forgetfulness, irritability;
- Night sweats;
- Sexual dysfunction;
- Headaches.
Patients with central sleep apnea are more likely to complain of intermittent awakenings or insomnia, although some may also experience choking or shortness of breath when awakened suddenly.
Symptoms in children may not be as obvious and include:
- Poor school performance
- Lethargy or drowsiness which parents and teachers erroneously interpret as laziness
- Daytime mouth breathing, difficulty swallowing
- Unusual sleeping positions such as sleeping on elbows and knees
- Excessive sweating at night
- Violation of conduct
- Bedwetting
Sleep apnea - causes of respiratory arrest during sleep: sleep apnea syndrome
Our health and well-being directly depends on the quality of sleep. A full night's rest affects the body's ability to withstand stress, is reflected in our appearance. What is apnea? This is a dangerous condition that is the result of snoring and is accompanied by respiratory arrest at night.
A person may have up to 400 cases of sleep apnea. As a result, systematic headaches occur, weakness and drowsiness begin to disturb, concentration of attention decreases, and working capacity decreases. All this is just a part of the manifestations that the sleep-deprived patient faces.
Sleep apnea - what is it?
At the moment of rest, when the tone of the muscles of the pharynx is significantly narrowed, all conditions begin to be created for the airways to collapse and stop breathing. Subsequently, such phenomena, the body begins to lack oxygen, which affects the work of vital organs - the heart and brain.
Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome is a great stress for the body, against which arterial hypertension begins to develop. Patients with sleep apnea are at risk for heart attacks and strokes. The lack of quality night rest leads to a decrease in the production of growth hormone, which is responsible for the conversion of fat into energy.
A person with chronic sleep deprivation is forced to systematically consume food to replenish vitality. As a result, there is a rapid weight gain, and losing weight becomes very problematic.
Fat, which is deposited in the neck, contributes to an even greater narrowing of the respiratory tract and the progression of sleep apnea. Only a certified specialist can cope with the vicious circle and cure the pathology.
Sleep apnea - varieties
Classify:
- central sleep apnea in which there is no movement of the sternum and abdomen. Associated with deterioration in the functioning of certain parts of the brain
- obstructive apnea is expressed by attempts to breathe, but oxygen is poorly supplied to the lungs;
- mixed, associated with combined airway constriction.
Irregular processes of brain activity act as factors for the appearance of the syndrome. It can be trauma, hereditary predisposition.
The anatomical features of the structure of the nasopharynx also play a role.
The most common cause of sleep apnea is snoring. As a rule, a similar symptom occurs as a result of obesity and overweight. Among the causes of sleep apnea are alcohol abuse and smoking.
Adults are more likely to develop sleep apnea with age.
How to treat sleep apnea?
The following simple recommendations will help you alleviate the condition and improve sleep, but will not get rid of the problem. Apnea treatment is carried out within the walls of a medical institution and involves surgical intervention.
Recommendations for the treatment of sleep apnea:
-
Sleep on the side. Many people like to sleep on their backs, which contributes to the retraction of the tongue and negatively affects breathing. Train yourself to sleep on your side and it will be much easier for you to breathe at night
-
The head should be slightly elevated during rest.
Buy a special pillow that will give your head a special position -
Do not get carried away with sedatives. Such drugs can adversely affect the tone of the muscles and lead to its relaxation
-
Do not abuse alcohol. Alcoholic beverages relax the muscles of the throat, which causes snoring
-
Fight excess weight. If this is what caused the apnea, it is worth losing weight by 10% of the mass, which will make breathing easier
-
Get rid of bad habits. Tobacco smoke leads to the appearance of chronic processes in the upper respiratory tract, their swelling
-
Take care of free nasal breathing. Any drops from nasal congestion help well. If the problem is chronic, it is important to consult an experienced doctor
Additional measures for the treatment of sleep apnea include the use of special intraoral devices.
Their action has been proven, and they cope quite well with the initial forms of the disease.
Apnea in children
It is considered normal for adults to hold their breath for less than 20 seconds. But in a child, such cases should not last longer than 10 seconds. The sign does not act as an independent pathology, but is the result of existing health problems.
It is known that sleep apnea in children occurs in about 2% and is due to a number of different reasons.
Apnea syndrome in children can make itself felt, both during night rest and during wakefulness. This manifestation is a common cause of death in apnea in children under one year old.
The syndrome can arise from various causes and be the result of pathologies such as:
- anemia
- epilepsy
- overweight
- allergic manifestations and more
Premature babies are automatically included in the risk group for the occurrence of nighttime breathing delays.
The structure of the nasopharynx, various injuries, and genetics also have an influence.
Sleep apnea in children is manifested by the following signs:
- breathing with periodic breaks
- disturbing movements during sleep, twitching
- snoring
- skin cyanosis
- unconscious
If you notice symptoms of sleep apnea in your baby, be sure to check that nothing is blocking his breathing. Massage his limbs, start artificial respiration, call an ambulance.
You should definitely be alerted by such signals as excessive weakness, loss of strength, problems with psychological development, lag in growth and weight gain.
Even rare nocturnal breath holdings have a bad effect on the general health of the child, so it is important to see an otolaryngologist in a timely manner and treat the sleep apnea syndrome.
Sleep apnea - symptoms and diagnosis
There are characteristic signals that can identify the presence of breathing problems:
- respiratory arrest
- severe interrupted snoring
- frequent urge to urinate
- chronic lack of sleep
- weakening of the body due to constant sleepiness
- weight gain
- blood pressure spikes
Watch how your loved one sleeps.
Snoring usually occurs, followed by a breath-hold, after which the person begins to snore loudly and takes several breaths. Sleep in such patients is very disturbing, they toss and turn in bed, twitch their limbs.
If you notice these symptoms, be sure to contact a professional. Apnea is diagnosed by somnologists and otolaryngologists.
Apnea treatment
To get rid of a dangerous syndrome, different methods are used. They are divided into basic and additional. The latter involve a change in lifestyle: getting rid of bad habits, correcting nutrition, using special devices during sleep. Operations are aimed at resuming breathing and eliminating snoring.
LeoMed Medical Center (in Kyiv, Podol, Right Bank) practices one of the most effective ways to treat sleep apnea. This is uvulopalatoplasty. The intervention is a laser coagulation to reduce the tissues of the nasopharynx and lasts no more than 15 minutes.
Local anesthesia is used for the operation, after which the patient quickly recovers and goes home.
