This medical condition is known as an irregularity caused during sleeping which can get dangerous if not treated. Your breathings will become continuously stopping and starting if you are under the influence of it. Loud snoring regularly and unstopping tiredness even you had a full night nap, means there may be some chances sleep apnea. In short forms, SA is causing it.
There are three main types included in this sleeping disorder.
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea – in typical form, this condition emerges as a reason of throat muscles relaxation.
- Central Sleep Apnea – this is a condition which happens as a result of improper signal sending of the brain to the muscles that control respiratory activities.
- Complex Sleep Apnea syndrome – This is also known as treatment-emergent central SA, which occurs when someone has both obstructive and central SA.
There might be a chance that you also affected with SA. Under such conditions, you should go and see a doctor. Treatments can prevent some criticalities and might help avoid issues of the chest as well as other complications also.
What is Sleep Apnea?
SA falls under several conditions of an involuntary cessation of our respiratory system, which occurs while the patient is asleep.
The Greek word “apnea” literally means “without breath.” There are three types of SA; central, mixed, and obstructive. Among these, obstructive SA, often called OSA for short, is the most common. Despite the difference in the root cause of each type, among all three, untreated SA causes breathing pauses repeatedly during the nap time. Sometimes hundreds of times at night, most commonly for a minute or longer when considering most cases the sleeper unaware of these breath stoppages because they don’t trigger a full awakening.
Sleep apnea waking up
Among various reasons that a person may wake up gasping for air, there is a massive possibility that obstructive SA is the cause.
This situation happens when a respiratory system blocking stops airflow along the respiratory tube. This scenario usually occurs when the soft tissue in the rear of the throat collapses and closes while sleeping.
A person may be unaware that they have such illness until someone informs them that they snore and gasp for air while asleep. When the person catches their breath, they may not fully awaken.
Apart from the above, there are many symptoms of SA are available such as:
- morning headaches
- daytime tiredness
- memory problems
- fatigue
- irritability
What are the causes of sleep apnea?
Various factors can contribute to the blocking or collapse of the airway such as; Muscular changes, Physical obstructions, and Brain functions.
Muscular changes: When people are sleeping, muscles that keep their airway open relax, along with the tongue, causing the airway to narrow. Usually, this relaxation does not prevent the flow of air goes in and out of the lungs, but in SA, it can.
Physical obstructions: Additional thickened tissue or excessive fat stores around the airway can restrict the airflow. And any air that squeezes past can cause the loud snoring typically accompanied by OSA.
Brain function: In central sleep apnea (CSA), the neurological controls for breathing are faulty, causing the power and rhythm of breathing to malfunction. CSA is usually associated with an underlying medical condition, such as a stroke or heart failure, recent ascent to high altitude, or the use of pain relief medication.
When the airway becomes completely blocked, the snoring stops, and there is no breathing for a 10-20 second period or until the brain senses the apnea and signals the muscles to tighten, returning the airflow. This pause in breathing is known as apnea.
Although this process continues hundreds of times throughout the night, the individual experiencing the apnea is not conscious of the problem.
What is central sleep apnea?
This case considered as a disfunction of your respiratory system, which results in repeated starting and stopping in your breathing system during your sleep. The reason for this condition is the improper signal sending of the brain to those muscles which have control over your breathing system. This situation is not like the obstructive SA, where it becomes hard for you to get normal breathing because there is an obstruction in your upper airway. Also, central SA is not a common condition like obstructive SA.
Central SA can also be a condition which occurs due to failures of the heart, strokes and falling sleep at high altitude levels.
There are treatments available for this disorder, such as treating the existing situations, use an aiding device which helps to breathe and use supplemental Oxygen.
What is obstructive sleep apnea?
This case considered as a disorder occurred while sleeping, which might get serious sometimes. When someone has it, they will not have any control over continuous stopping as well as starting in their respiratory activities.
You will find several types of SA, among them, obstructive SA considered to be common among most of the SA patients. This sleeping disorder occurs because of the blocking occurred inside your throat due to relaxing of the throat muscles. When this happened your airway gets blocked while you are sleeping. You are able to easily identify such situations due to your regular snoring.
There is nothing to worry if you have it because treatments are there. Positive pressure supplying devices are used by some people to keep their airway opened while they are sleeping. Fixing a mouthpiece at a lower jaw to thrust it forward while you are sleeping is another method. Some think that doing surgery to control their SA situation is better than every other treatment.
Sleep apnea vs. Insomnia
Both insomnias as well as SA lead to diminished quality of sleeping and have a bunch of shared symptoms. Especially the aftermath of not having a good night’s sleep is the same for both disorders – feeling drowsy or tired throughout the day, headaches, etc.
Besides that, the most visible symptoms of insomnia are difficulty falling asleep during bedtime, waking up during sleeping or waking up too early.
SA is characterized by loud snoring, choking or gasping in your sleep, and resultant depression and issues with weight gain.
Sleep apnea prevalence
Prevalence of SA varies according to its threshold applied for defining abnormality (e.g., AHI > 5, >10, >15). Using minimal thresholds for diagnosis, numerous epidemiological studies have identified SA as a very regular disorder, affecting between 2-15% of middle-aged adults and exceeds 20% of the elderly population.1,2 Prevalence is particularly high among certain groups of the population, including men, obese individuals, diabetics, the elderly, and minority groups. Considering recent data on obesity, a major risk factor for SA, Young and associates estimated that one out of five adults suffer from mild SA, and one out of 15 have moderate SA. Furthermore, it appears that a majority of adults with OSA are undiagnosed.
Sleep apnea headache
According to the classification criteria of the third edition of the International Classification of Headache Disorder (ICHD-III), a SA headache is a recurrent morning headache in a person who has been diagnosed with SA. A headache has one or more of the following features:
- Occurs more than 15 times a month.
- Occurs on both sides of the head, has a pressing quality, and is not associated with nausea, photophobia, or sensitivity to sound.
- A headache resolves within 4 hours
Before making the diagnosis, your doctor will take a thorough history and perform a careful physical examination to make sure there is not another cause for your headaches.
The precise “why” behind a sleep apnea headache is not fully understood? It may be due to the actual sleep disturbance. Or, the headache could be triggered by the low oxygen and high carbon dioxide levels that occur during the repetitive episodes of apnea.
Treatment of a sleep apnea headache entails treating the primary disorder, OSA. Sleep apnea is usually treated with a variety of interventions including weight loss, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), upper airway surgery, and treatment of nasal allergies.
Sleep apnea cause weight gain
While having sleep apnea can lead to weight gain, weight gain can also make sleep apnea symptoms worse. When most people gain weight, they gain it everywhere – including their neck. Excess weight in this area can narrow your airway when you lie down. When the air has to squeeze through, it is often heard as snoring or wheezing. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when your airway is blocked during sleep, so this excess narrowing can increase the number of times you wake up at night.
Sleep apnea is associated with an increased risk of several other health conditions such as type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, two conditions that have also been linked to excess weight.
Sleep apnea caused by braces
Orthodontics may be a helpful treatment for sleep apnea if the cause of the apnea is orthodontics related. For example, if the apnea is caused by a significant overbite, braces could be helpful in reducing the overbite and eventually eliminating it. Most likely, the individual would notice a gradual reduction in sleep apnea symptoms as the bite is corrected over time until eventually the bite becomes normal and the apnea ceases.
Sleep apnea food intolerance
Sleep apnea can be amplified by food sensitivities. Having a low tolerance to additives and chemicals common in many foods these days translates into swellings of body tissues caused by your body’s release of inflammatory markers. Such markers reduce the amount of chemical serotine produced by your brain – a serotine that regulates your sleep – while swollen body tissues further damage your airways, thus, piling on to your sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea when drunk
There is an association between alcohol and sleep apnea even if you don’t have a diagnosis. If you have alcohol use disorder, you may be at higher risk for developing OSA, especially if you already snore.
For those with OSA, the consequences of sleep apnea become more pronounced when you drink because alcohol can increase the time between when you stop breathing and “wake up” to breathe again. In other words, it makes your OSA worse.
Sleep apnea VA rating
Sleep apnea is a common but serious condition that affects millions of Americans, but veterans’ disability filings show us that it impacts veterans at a higher rate and that they’re diagnosed at a higher rate than the general population.
If you think that you may suffer from sleep apnea, for VA rating purposes, it’s really important that you go to a medical professional and you get a documented diagnosis by having a sleep study conducted. Without this diagnosis in writing (preferably, but not required, while you were in service) it can be difficult to connect the condition to your time in service.
Obstructive sleep apnea ICD 10
- G47.30 is a billable/specific ICD-10-CM code that can be used to indicate a diagnosis for reimbursement purposes.
- The 2019 edition of ICD-10-CM G47.30 became effective on October 1, 2018.
- This is the American ICD-10-CM version of G47.30 – other international versions of ICD-10 G47.30 may differ.
Applicable To
- Sleep apnea NOS
What is the 10 code for obstructive sleep apnea?
ICD-Code G47.33 is a billable ICD-10 code used for healthcare diagnosis reimbursement of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (Adult) (pediatric). Its corresponding ICD-9 code is 327.23.
What is the CPT code for obstructive sleep apnea?
Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes are used for health care provider services and medical procedures.
For the home sleep testing units that we use, the most appropriate CPT code is 95806. Some insurers require – or also accept- the “G code” G0399 for a home sleep study.
Nexus statement sleep apnea
A nexus letter is a document that a doctor or other medical professional prepares for a veteran, and it explains that the veteran’s current medical condition is related to their military service. If you need a nexus letter for sleep apnea, don’t hesitate to reach out to Veteran Claims Insider.
EZ sleeper for sleep apnea
EZ Sleep is dominating the home sleep testing industry – that is why the pairing of Apnea Guard with Ez Sleep’s baseline and efficacy home sleep testing offering is the perfect marriage to test and treat sleep apnea patients. Dentists will now be able to deliver immediate trial therapy with AG in the very same appointment as discussing a patient’s baseline HST results.
FAQs of Sleep Apnea
What are the levels of sleep apnea?
To grade the severity of sleep apnea, the number of events per hour is reported as the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). An AHI of less than 5 is considered normal. An AHI of 5-15 is mild; 15-30 is moderate and more than 30 events per hour characterize severe sleep apnea.
Is sleep apnea a disability?
The Social Security Administration (SSA) no longer has a disability listing for sleep apnea, but it does have listings for breathing disorders, heart problems, and mental deficits.
Can sleep apnea kill you?
As mentioned previously, it can lead to heart attack, heart arrhythmias, and strokes. In short, untreated sleep apnea can kill you.
What are sleep apnea events per hour?
Normal sleep: Fewer than 5 events per hour. Mild sleep apnea: 5 to 14 events per hour. Moderate sleep apnea: 15 to 29 events per hour. Severe sleep apnea: 30 or more events per hour.
What is CPAP medical abbreviation?
CPAP: Continuous positive airway pressure. CPAP is an effective treatment for moderate to severe obstructive SA which provides positive results to the patient.
Can a deviated septum cause sleep apnea?
A deviated septum may also cause sleep apnea, a serious condition in which a person stops breathing during sleep
Who are the celebrities with sleep apnea?
- Shaquille O’Neal, basketball player.
- Reggie White, football player. Died from complications occurs due to SA.
- William Shatner, actor.
- Rosie O’Donnell, actor & comedian.
- Jerry Garcia, musician. …
- Regis Philbin, media personality.
- Roseanne Barr, actor, and comedian.
- Quincy Jones, a music executive.
What is neck circumference sleep apnea?
Having a neck circumference that is greater than 16 inches if you are a woman or greater than 17 inches if you are a man are one of the numerous risk factors in SA. This matter has accompanied along with SA situations where you should be paying attention. This case may result in disturbances in getting a good sleep along with other issues like regular tiredness.
Can dogs have sleep apnea?
Sometimes dogs may have snoring problems, but loud snoring may be a sign of SA disorder. This condition can be most visible with dog breeds such as English Bulldogs as well as obese dogs, which cause problems in inhaling and exhaling during their napping times. Dogs, suffering from this irregularity may temporarily stop inhaling & exhaling, which wakes them up.
Can cats have sleep apnea?
Under the given situation, one of the most common signs cats exhibit considered as loud snoring. Your cat may also be gasping during breathing and be experiencing spasms inside their diaphragm. This type of conditions is sometimes visible in Persian cats whose shortened muzzles make them prone to breathing disorders. Cats that exceeded their weight levels or obese cats are also at risk for developing this disorder.
