Central Obstructive Sleep Apnea: What’s the Difference?
What you knew as central obstructive sleep apnea actually represents two types of sleep apnea that
need to be understood well. In this page, we will attempt to explain the differences between the
two conditions.
Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when there is some sort of blockage in a
person’s airway, causing them to
be unable to get the air that they need while they are asleep. This can be due to many reasons, with
obesity being a common cause. Overweight people have deposits of fatty tissue in the neck area, which
can weigh on the esophagus and cause a lack of sufficient room for air to get through.
Other causes of obstructive sleep apnea include allergies, nasal deformation, large adenoids, large
tonsils, and sleeping in an awkward position. Snoring is often present in those who have obstructive
sleep apnea, since the sound of snoring represents your body trying as hard as it can to get the oxygen
that it needs.
Central sleep apnea is a similar disease but with different causes. Cases
of central sleep apnea are
rare, occurring much less often than diagnoses of obstructive sleep apnea. In central sleep apnea,
the afflicted person has a problem with their brain’s timing. The brain subconsciously tells the body when
it should perform its regular functions, and sometimes the timing can be off when it comes to telling
the body when to breathe. So, in central obstructive sleep apnea, or should be written as
central and obstructive sleep apnea, sufferers do not get enough
oxygen while they sleep.
Both disorders cause the sufferer to wake up numerous times throughout the night, gasping for air and
even choking. The afflicted often wake with headaches and sore throats due to the lack of oxygen and
their body’s struggles with trying to get some. This lack of sleep can lead to many other problems,
both physical and mental. Since sleep apnea causes the sufferer to wake up so much throughout the night,
the person rarely gets enough REM sleep to fully refresh their body.
This can leave them in a permanent state of grogginess, leading to a lack of concentration,
increased irritability, and a much higher risk of being involved in an automobile accident. These
problems with alertness can cause an apnea patient to lose productivity in the workplace and in the
home, causing a host of problems in the sufferer’s life. Also, the lack of sufficient oxygen taken in
by apnea sufferers while they sleep can lead to some very serious physical problems.
Higher blood pressure is often present in those with both types of sleep apnea, and those who have
an untreated case of sleep apnea have a significantly higher risk of suffering from a stroke or heart
disease than those who have their condition treated. For that reason, if you or someone you love has any
of the symptoms described above, it’s important to consult a health care professional to ensure that
sleep apnea is not present. The test for apnea is painless, and involves an overnight sleep study. The
test is also usually covered by insurance, so there is no need to worry about costs assuming you have
an insurance provider.**
For searching deeper information about this topic, please feel free to visit
our resources on Central Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
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