Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesRisk FactorsDiagnosisTreatmentComplicationsTips to Manage OSAWhen to Call a Provider
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Risk Factors
Diagnosis
Treatment
Complications
Tips to Manage OSA
When to Call a Provider
Obstructive sleepapnea(OSA), the most commontypeofsleep apnea, is very common, affecting approximately 15% to 20% of adults.Apnea is an interruption in breathing. Sleep apnea is interrupted breathing during sleep.
If you have OSA, you may experience headaches and tiredness during the day, as well as snoring while sleeping. This article describes the symptoms, diagnosis,treatments, and how to cope with OSA.
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Obstructive Sleep Apnea Symptoms
While OSA is a sleep disorder, the symptoms and effects can also impact your daytime quality of life. You might not notice your symptoms of OSA, but a person who is awake in the same room as you while you are asleep may notice your snoring, gasping for breath, or brief periods of pauses in your breathing while you sleep.
Symptomsand effects of OSA include:
Long-term, untreated OSA has been associated with health complications, includinghypertension (high blood pressure), heart disease, and mood disorders.
What Causes Mild Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
What Causes Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
The main cause of OSA is obstruction, or blockage, of the upper airways during sleep. The muscles throughout the body relax during sleep, including the throat muscles. Certain risk factors can increase the likelihood of upper airway blockage during sleep when the muscles naturally relax.
If your upper airways become physically blocked during sleep, this leads to interrupted breathing and decreased oxygen. If your body senses reduced oxygen levels, you will wake up, catch your breath again, and quickly fall asleep.
These periods of waking and falling asleep throughout a night of sleep will last for just a few seconds —and most people do not notice their episodes of wakefulness due to OSA.
Risk Factors for Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Certain risk factors can increase the likelihood of OSA, although having a risk factor does not necessarily mean that you will develop OSA. Less often, some people may have OSA without these risk factors.
Known risk factors for OSA include:
Sleeping on your back may increase the likelihood of upper airway obstruction during sleep.
Males are more prone to OSA than females.
A Note on Gender and Sex TerminologyVerywell Health acknowledges thatsex and genderare related concepts, but they are not the same. To reflect our sources accurately, this article uses terms like “female,” “male,” “woman,” and “man” as the sources use them.
A Note on Gender and Sex Terminology
Verywell Health acknowledges thatsex and genderare related concepts, but they are not the same. To reflect our sources accurately, this article uses terms like “female,” “male,” “woman,” and “man” as the sources use them.
How Is Obstructive Sleep Apnea Diagnosed?
Obstructive sleep apnea is diagnosed using medical history, symptoms, risk factors, and diagnostic tests. A combination of snoring, gasping for air during sleep, and daytime fatigue are highly suggestive of OSA.
Apolysomnogram(sleep study) can identify episodes of low oxygen, interrupted breathing, and wakefulness during sleep.
Polysomnography (PSG)
A polysomnogram is a diagnostic testinvolving multiple devices used to measure various parameters during sleep. You may be asked to go to a sleep lab to have your sleep study, or you may be given a device to use at home.
Features of a polysomnogram include:
If you have OSA, your polysomnogram may identify episodes of choking or shallow breathing leading to low oxygen levels. More frequent episodes indicate more severe OSA.
OSA and Central Sleep ApneaThere are three types of sleep apnea: OSA, central sleep apnea, andmixed or complex sleep apnea. Central sleep apnea is when pauses in breathing during sleep occur due to disruptions in the brain’s control over breathing patterns.
OSA and Central Sleep Apnea
There are three types of sleep apnea: OSA, central sleep apnea, andmixed or complex sleep apnea. Central sleep apnea is when pauses in breathing during sleep occur due to disruptions in the brain’s control over breathing patterns.
Sleep Apnea in Children: Everything You Need to Know
Obstructive Sleep Apnea Treatment
Several different medical treatments are available for OSA. Some of them can be combined to achieve a better outcome. Lifestyle modifications are an important part of managing OSA.
Lifestyle modifications and medical treatments for OSA include:
You will have to discuss your treatment options with your healthcare provider. Some people benefit from treatment options that may not help other people. Additionally, you may need to try one or more treatments to see which option is effective.
Sleep Apnea Devices That Work
Obstructive Sleep Apnea Complications
Untreated OSA has been associated with a number of serious health complications. In addition to the symptoms of daytime tiredness, headaches, and potentially even trouble concentrating—the effects of low oxygen may have consequences for your health.
Medical issues that have been associated with OSA include:
It’s not known exactly how long it would take for you to develop such complications, and several of these conditions may also correlate with other risk factors of OSA. For example, obesity can contribute to hypertension and heart disease, and OSA can amplify these health issues.
More severe OSA that is untreated for a long time increases the chance of developing serious complicationsor even death.
Is Sleep Apnea Brain Damage Reversible?
Tips for Managing Obstructive Sleep Apnea
While seeking medical help for OSA is vital, managing lifestyle risk factors and incorporating lifestyle measures that improve overall health and wellness are important. You can do many things to improve your overall sleep and help reduce the impact of OSA on your health.
Practical tips for living with OSA include:
These tips can help improve your overall sleep patterns and help you get rest while sleeping.
When to Contact a Healthcare Provider
Whether you have OSA or another illness, a medical evaluation and treatment plan will help you improve your overall health and reduce these symptoms.
A Word From Verywell HealthIf your family members have commented on your snoring or breathing at night or you wake up feeling like you haven’t slept, you should consider asking your healthcare provider about testing for sleep apnea. If you have sleep apnea, treatment can be life-changing and greatly improve your quality of life.—DANIEL COMBS, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
A Word From Verywell Health
If your family members have commented on your snoring or breathing at night or you wake up feeling like you haven’t slept, you should consider asking your healthcare provider about testing for sleep apnea. If you have sleep apnea, treatment can be life-changing and greatly improve your quality of life.—DANIEL COMBS, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
If your family members have commented on your snoring or breathing at night or you wake up feeling like you haven’t slept, you should consider asking your healthcare provider about testing for sleep apnea. If you have sleep apnea, treatment can be life-changing and greatly improve your quality of life.
—DANIEL COMBS, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
Summary
Sleep apnea is a condition that causes interruptions in breathing during sleep, with OSA being the most common type of sleep apnea. Many people do not notice their own OSA symptoms, and usually, someone else will notice snoring or gasping for air during sleep.
If you or someone else is having symptoms that could be sleep apnea—snoring, gasping for air, tiredness during the day, persistent headaches, irritability, or mental fogginess—it’s important to seek medical attention.
Most people living with OSA experience improvement in symptoms and substantial improvement in quality of life with treatment.
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Abbasi A, Gupta SS, Sabharwal N, et al.A comprehensive review of obstructive sleep apnea.Sleep Sci.2021;14(2):142-154. doi:10.5935/1984-0063.20200056
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.What is sleep apnea?
MedlinePlus.Obstructive sleep apnea—adults.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Key sleep disorders.
Seol J, Chiba S, Kawana F, et al.Validation of sleep-staging accuracy for an in-home sleep electroencephalography device compared with simultaneous polysomnography in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.Sci Rep.2024;14(1):3533. doi:10.1038/s41598-024-53827-1
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Sleep apnea causes and risk factors.
Bonsignore MR, Saaresranta T, Riha RL.Sex differences in obstructive sleep apnoea.Eur Respir Rev. 2019;28(154):190030. doi:10.1183/16000617.0030-2019
Powell-Wiley TM, Poirier P, Burke LE, et al.Obesity and cardiovascular disease: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association.Circulation. 2021;143(21). doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000973
Heilbrunn ES, Ssentongo P, Chinchilli VM, Oh J, Ssentongo AE.Sudden death in individuals with obstructive sleep apnoea: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ Open Respir Res. 2021;8(1):e000656. doi:10.1136/bmjresp-2020-000656
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