How Common Is Sleep Apnea?

Do you suspect that you might have sleep apnea? Well, it is indeed more common than you might think. However, there are different types of sleep apnea conditions. You have obstructive sleep apnea, which is the most common one. Then you have central sleep apnea, and finally, complex sleep apnea.

So, let's help you get a better insight into each type of sleep apnea and how common sleep apnea is in general. Let's take a look:

Quick Statistics On Sleep Apnea

There is an inevitable requirement for people worldwide to learn more about sleep disorders, especially sleep apnea. Here are a few statistics that will help you understand the importance of sleep study and sleep specialists:

• Almost every person has had experience with mild sleep apnea in some form, even if it is temporary.
• According to American Sleep Apnea Association, there are around 22 million people with sleep apnea diagnosed. However, 80% of the actual moderate and severe cases go undiagnosed.
• As of 2018, around 1.5 million people living in Australia were diagnosed with sleep apnea. Unfortunately, that is 6% of the entire population. There's speculation that the majority of people have undiagnosed sleep apnea worldwide.
• Men have 2 times the possibility of developing sleep apnea than women.
• The common health factors that contribute to developing sleep apnea are obesity. Almost 9 out of 10 sleep apnea patients are overweight.
• The risk of developing some form of sleep apnea increases past the age of 65. Around 1 in 4 men over 65 have it, and 1 in 10 women.
• Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP Machine) is the most commonly prescribed option to treat sleep apnea. It is also a fast-growing industry with multi-billion dollar projections.

How Common Is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common form of sleeping disorder that people have faced in some form. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when something is blocking a person's airflow, the breathing passage.

Hence, people experience breathing pauses. Not everyone can easily become aware of these, however. Excessive daytime sleepiness is the leading symptom of such a case. Narrowed airway, relaxed throat muscles and upper airway blockage are some of the common causes of sleep apnea.

Temporary obstructive sleep apnea can also surface when a person takes sedatives or sleeping pills or gets too drunk. As stated, obese people have higher risk factors and may develop sleep apnea in some form. They will snore loudly and feel tired and disoriented, and have found mood after a proper full night's sleep because the condition also impacts the blood oxygen levels.

How Common Is Central Sleep Apnea?

Central sleep apnea CSA is different from OSA as it doesn't have a physical obstruction. CSA is caused when the brain fails to send the signal to the respiratory muscles to breathe. The common symptoms include suddenly waking up from sleep and feeling breathless. However, many people aren't aware that they stop breathing mid-sleep. As a result, when they get up, they have trouble concentrating, and as their breathing and oxygen levels are reduced, they can have high blood pressure, headache and other symptoms.

CSA isn't common, and only around 0.9% to 3% of people can develop it without any pre-existing medical condition. Most people that develop sleep apnea (CSA) have suffered from congestive heart failure or other heart-related conditions, stroke, or some form of neorological condition.

It is estimated that around 40% of people with heart disease have an increased risk of CSA or breathing interruptions.

There's also speculation that treating sleep apnea with the CPAP option can cause some form of CSA.

How Common Is Complex Sleep Apnea?

This one is a potentially serious sleep disorder where the patients suffer from both obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea. This one is also known as treatment-emergent central sleep apnea. Unfortunately, untreated sleep apnea or using CPAP to treat symptoms of sleep apnea can lead to the development of complex sleep apnea if the instructions aren't properly followed.

How Is Sleep Apnea Treated And Diagnosed?

The development of sleep apnea depends on the patient's lifestyle. As mentioned, obesity and old age are the primary reasons behind sleep apnea. If you want to diagnose sleep apnea, loud snoring is one of the common symptoms that your bed partner would complain about. Poor sleep quality, nasal congestion, and dry mouth are also associated with sleep apnea, which can lead to high blood pressure and serious complications.

Therefore, weight loss and healthy sleep practices become the primary prescription by sleep clinics. If losing weight and changing lifestyle doesn't work, you might get CPAP therapy, or even undergo a surgical procedure in extreme cases.