Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCausesHow Breathing ResumesWhen It’s SeriousCan It Kill You?When to See a Healthcare Provider
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Causes
How Breathing Resumes
When It’s Serious
Can It Kill You?
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Sleep apneais a common condition that causes your breathing to stop intermittently while asleep.
You may be wondering how serious this is or even asking, “Can sleep apnea kill you?”
It is extremely unlikely for the breathing pauses associated with sleep apnea to cause death.Still, sleep apnea can lead to potentially serious health conditions, so it is important to seek treatment options.
This article will discuss the potential risks of sleep apnea, when it becomes serious, and what you can do about it.
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Causes of Breathing Stopping During Sleep
It is also possible for you to completely stop breathing for a while. These breathing pauses are called sleep apnea, from the Greek for “no breath.” By definition, apnea events last at least 10 seconds, but they can stretch on for several minutes.
The most common cause of apnea is the sleep disorder known asobstructive sleep apnea(OSA). OSA occurs when the tissues of the upper airway—the tongue, soft palate, and uvula—collapse into the throat and block the normal airflow.
Your body may still make an effort to breathe, with the chest and abdomen moving, but the air can’t get past the obstruction. As a result, airflow through your nose and mouth is reduced or cut off during these periods.
Other potential causes of disturbed breathing during sleep are less common. They include:
With improper breathing, the blood’s oxygen levels drop. The brain senses that inadequate breathing is occurring, with increasedcarbon dioxidelevels, and stimulates an awakening, which may be a conscious event or happen without the person realizing they have awakened.
These awakenings are associated with episodes of increased heart rate and blood pressure and can lead to other problems over the long term. When you experience it, you may wake up gasping or choking. If you share a bed with a partner, they may witness a loud snort and movement as your muscles are now active and the airway opens.
When Does Sleep Apnea Become Serious?
The severity of sleep apnea varies. It’s thought to be normal for pauses in breathing to occur up to five times per hour in adultsand once per hour in children. These events may even occur as part of normal sleep-stage transitions.
If breathing disruptions occur more frequently, asleep studymay diagnose OSA. The following categories are used to classify sleep apnea based on theapnea-hypopnea index (AHI).
Adults:
Children:
It is also important to recognize the degree of oxygen deprivation that occurs with these events. When oxygen levels fall below 90%, this is called hypoxemia.
In the setting of heart or lung disease, the oxygen levels may drop drastically with each apnea event. As a result, there can be greater stress placed on the body overnight. Chronic oxygen deprivation may lead to both short-term and long-term effects.
Health Risks of Sleep Apnea
It’s extremely unlikely that the breathing pauses of sleep apnea itself could cause death. In other words, you won’t just stop breathing permanently. OSA can, however, increase your risk of potentially fatal short-term and chronic health conditions, some of which may cause sudden death.
Short-Term Risks
Breathing stoppages may provoke a cardiac arrhythmia that leads to cardiac arrest.It can also lead to atrial fibrillation, heart attack (myocardial infarction), and even stroke.
These events seem to increase toward morning, which is coincidentally when REM sleep occurs more commonly and when more sleep apnea is apt to occur.Studies suggest the relative risk of sudden death during sleep between midnight and 6 a.m. is about 2.5 times higher for people with OSA.
The good news is that treatment with CPAP (a continuous positive airway pressure machine) appears to lower the risk of most serious complications and the chances that OSA will lead to long-term cardiac problems.
Chronic Risks
Evidence shows that long-term sleep-disordered breathing can have important health consequences. The risks are greater if OSA is moderate to severe. It may increase the incidence ofhigh blood pressure (hypertension),diabetes, and heart problems.
It’s also associated with depression and memory problems likeAlzheimer’s disease.It increases daytime sleepiness and may contribute to accidents.
So while OSA isn’t fatal on its own, many of the problems it can lead to can threaten your life. That makes treating sleep apnea important for protecting your health.
If you or someone you love experiences recurrent pauses in breathing, you should seek medical evaluation. Don’t dismiss breathing disturbances in sleep as inconsequential; over time, serious problems can develop.
Othersymptoms or signsmay point to the diagnosis, but a sleep study will give you a definitive answer as to the cause. Fortunately, effective treatment options are available, including the use ofCPAPor anoral appliance. Speak with your healthcare provider and get the treatment you need to breathe and sleep better.
Summary
13 Sources
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