Sleep Apnea
Overview
Risk Factors
Sleep apnea is more common in men and adults over 40 years. Other things that may raise the risk are:
- Being obese
- Having medical conditions, such as:
- Heart and blood vessel problems
- Problems with the kidneys or lungs
- Endocrine problems, such as diabetes and hypothyroidism
- Having a large neck
- Family history of apnea
- Using certain medicines for pain or sleep
- Having problems in the nose or throat such as:
- Nasal polyps
- Very large tonsils
- Deviated nasal septum
- Smoking
- Alcohol use
SymptomsandDiagnosis
Treatments
Treatment
The goal of treatment is to improve sleep and prevent health problems. Treatment depends on the cause and type of sleep apnea. Options may be:
- Lifestyle changes, such as maintaining a healthy weight through diet and exercise, not smoking, and changing sleeping positions
- Wearing a small device in the mouth to keep the airway open
- Using continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)—a machine that gently blows air into the airway to keep it open
- Changing medicines or trying new ones to ease symptoms
- Having surgery to shrink or remove extra tissue that is blocking the airway
This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.
Edits to original content made by Denver Health.
Copyright © EBSCO Information Services
All rights reserved.
a (Obstructive Apnea; Central Apnea; Mixed Apnea)
RESOURCES
American Sleep Apnea Association https://www.sleepapnea.org
National Sleep Foundation https://sleepfoundation.org
CANADIAN RESOURCES
Canadian Sleep Society https://css-scs.ca
The Lung Association https://www.lung.ca
References
Central sleep apnea. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/central-sleep-apnea. Accessed January 7, 2021.
Marin-Oto M, Vicente EE, et al. Long term management of obstructive sleep apnea and its comorbidities. Multidiscip Respir Med 14, 21 (2019).
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in adults. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/obstructive-sleep-apnea-osa-in-adults. Accessed January 7, 2021.
Sleep apnea. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) website. Available at: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/sleep-apnea. Accessed January 7, 2021.
12/20/2016 DynaMed Systematic Literature Surveillance https://www.dynamed.com/condition/central-sleep-apnea: Costanzo MR, Ponikowski P, et al. Transvenous neurostimulation for central sleep apnoea: a randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2016;388(10048):974-982.