Home›PULMONOLOGY

Sleep Apnea

Understanding sleep apnea: A disorder where breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep.

Pulmonology focuses on diagnosing and treating lung and airway conditions such as asthma, COPD, and pneumonia, as well as overall respiratory health.

We're Here to Help.
Get in Touch.

Send us all your questions or requests, and our expert team will assist you.

Doctors
GDPR

Sleep Apnea: Overview and Definition

Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. These pauses in breathing, known as apneas, can last from a few seconds to minutes and may occur 30 times or more an hour. The most common type is obstructive sleep apnea, which occurs when the throat muscles relax excessively, blocking the airway.

A less common form, central sleep apnea, occurs when the brain fails to send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing. Complex sleep apnea syndrome is a combination of both. Left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to a host of health complications, including high blood pressure, heart problems, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. At Liv Hospital, we recognize that understanding the specific type and severity of sleep apnea is the first critical step toward effective management and the restoration of restorative sleep.

The Mechanics of Disordered Breathing

To understand the definition of sleep apnea, one must examine the mechanics of the upper airway during sleep.

Icon LIV Hospital

Obstructive Mechanisms

In obstructive sleep apnea, the airway becomes blocked or collapses during sleep. This blockage typically occurs in the soft tissue at the back of the throat. When the muscles relax, structures like the soft palate, uvula, tonsils, and tongue can fall backward, narrowing the airway. As air tries to squeeze through the narrowed passage, the tissue vibrates, producing the sound of snoring. If the airway becomes completely blocked, breathing stops, oxygen levels in the blood drop, and the brain senses the danger, briefly rousing the sleeper to reopen the airway. This cycle of apnea and arousal fragments sleep quality.

Icon 1 LIV Hospital

Neurological Control Failure

In central sleep apnea, the airway is not blocked, but the brain fails to signal the muscles to breathe. This is related to the function of the respiratory control center in the brainstem. It is often associated with other medical conditions such as heart failure or stroke. The lack of respiratory effort leads to pauses in breathing and fluctuating oxygen levels, similar to obstructive apnea but with a different root cause.

Classifying Sleep Apnea Types

Defining the specific type of sleep apnea is essential for determining the appropriate treatment path.

  • Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA): This is the most prevalent form of the disorder. A physical blockage of the airway causes it. The severity is often measured by the Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI), which counts the number of events per hour. It ranges from mild sleep apnea to severe sleep apnea.
  • Central Sleep Apnea (CSA): This form is less common and involves the central nervous system. The brain fails to transmit signals to the diaphragm and intercostal muscles. It can be primary or secondary to other conditions, like Cheyne-Stokes respiration in heart failure.
  • Complex Sleep Apnea Syndrome: Also known as treatment-emergent central sleep apnea, this occurs when someone with obstructive sleep apnea develops central sleep apnea after treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP).

Epidemiology and Prevalence

Sleep apnea is a widespread condition affecting millions globally, though many cases remain undiagnosed.

  • Global Burden: It is estimated that nearly 1 billion people worldwide have some form of sleep disordered breathing. It affects all ages, including children, but the prevalence increases significantly with age.
  • Gender Differences: Men are two to three times more likely to have sleep apnea than women. However, the risk for women increases if they are overweight, and it also rises after menopause.

Undiagnosed Cases: A significant portion of the population lives with undiagnosed sleep apnea, often attributing symptoms like fatigue or snoring to aging or lifestyle rather than a medical condition. This lack of diagnosis prevents timely intervention and increases long-term health risks.

Pathophysiology of Sleep Apnea

The physiological impact of sleep apnea extends far beyond the lungs.

  • Hypoxia and Reoxygenation: The repetitive cycles of oxygen desaturation (hypoxia) followed by rapid reoxygenation cause oxidative stress and systemic inflammation. This damages blood vessels and organs.
  • Sympathetic Activation: Each apnea event triggers a stress response, releasing adrenaline and cortisol. This keeps the body in a state of high alert (fight or flight) even during sleep, leading to elevated blood pressure and heart rate variability.

Intrathoracic Pressure Changes: Struggling to breathe with a closed airway creates significant negative pressure in the chest. This affects the heart’s ability to pump efficiently and can lead to atrial fibrillation and other arrhythmias.

Severity Stratification

Doctors use specific metrics to define the severity of the condition.

  • Mild Sleep Apnea: Defined as 5 to 14 apnea or hypopnea events per hour. Symptoms may be minor, such as occasional snoring or slight daytime sleepiness.
  • Moderate Sleep Apnea: Defined as 15 to 29 events per hour. Patients typically experience significant snoring and noticeable daytime impairment.

Severe Sleep Apnea: Defined as 30 or more events per hour. This level poses severe health risks, including a high probability of cardiovascular events and extreme daytime drowsiness that can be dangerous for driving or operating machinery.

Sleep Apnea in Children

While often associated with adults, sleep apnea in children is a distinct entity.

  • Anatomical Causes: In children, the most common cause is enlarged tonsils and adenoids.
  • Consequences: Unlike adults who get sleepy, children with sleep apnea may become hyperactive, have trouble focusing in school, or exhibit behavioral problems. It can also lead to bedwetting and failure to thrive.
  • Diagnosis: Pediatric criteria for diagnosing sleep apnea are stricter than for adults, as even a few events per hour can be significant in a developing child.

Distinguishing Snoring from Apnea

Not everyone who snores has sleep apnea, but it is the most common cause of snoring.

  • Primary Snoring: This is snoring without pauses in breathing or drops in oxygen levels. It is socially disruptive but not medically dangerous in the same way as apnea.

Apneic Snoring: This is characterized by loud snoring punctuated by periods of silence (the apnea) followed by a gasping or choking sound as the person resumes breathing. This pattern is highly suggestive of obstructive sleep apnea.

Book a Free Certified Online
Doctor Consultation

Clinics/branches
GDPR

Related Doctors

Op. MD. Yaman Khoraki Liv Hospital Ulus Op. MD. Yaman Khoraki Thoracic Surgery Prof. MD. Ferah Ece Liv Hospital Ulus Prof. MD. Ferah Ece Respirology Spec. MD. Mehmet Aydoğan Liv Hospital Ulus Spec. MD. Mehmet Aydoğan Respirology Spec. MD. Recep Dodurgalı Liv Hospital Ulus Spec. MD. Recep Dodurgalı Respirology Assoc. Prof. MD. Ömer Ayten Liv Hospital Vadistanbul Assoc. Prof. MD. Ömer Ayten Respirology Prof. MD. Cengiz Özdemir Liv Hospital Vadistanbul Prof. MD. Cengiz Özdemir Respirology Prof. MD. Levent Dalar Liv Hospital Vadistanbul Prof. MD. Levent Dalar Respirology Assoc. Prof. MD. Akın Yıldızhan Liv Hospital Bahçeşehir Assoc. Prof. MD. Akın Yıldızhan Thoracic Surgery Asst. Prof. MD. Aysu Sinem Koç Liv Hospital Bahçeşehir Asst. Prof. MD. Aysu Sinem Koç Pulmonology Asst. Prof. MD. Zeynep Atam Taşdemir Liv Hospital Bahçeşehir Asst. Prof. MD. Zeynep Atam Taşdemir Pulmonology Prof. MD. Adalet Demir Liv Hospital Bahçeşehir Prof. MD. Adalet Demir Thoracic Surgery Prof. MD. Adil Can Güngen Liv Hospital Bahçeşehir Prof. MD. Adil Can Güngen Respirology Prof. MD. Cemal Asım Kutlu Liv Hospital Bahçeşehir Prof. MD. Cemal Asım Kutlu Thoracic Surgery Assoc. Prof. MD. Engin Aynacı Liv Hospital Topkapı Assoc. Prof. MD. Engin Aynacı Respirology Op. MD. Semih Buluklu Liv Hospital Topkapı Op. MD. Semih Buluklu Thoracic Surgery Spec. MD. Gudrat Badalov Liv Hospital Topkapı Spec. MD. Gudrat Badalov Respirology Prof. MD. Kudret Ekiz Liv Hospital Ankara Prof. MD. Kudret Ekiz Respirology Spec. MD. Berna Botan Yıldırım Liv Hospital Ankara Spec. MD. Berna Botan Yıldırım Respirology Spec. MD. Burça Takar Liv Hospital Ankara Spec. MD. Burça Takar Respirology Spec. MD. Didem Katar Liv Hospital Ankara Spec. MD. Didem Katar Respirology Spec. MD. Mine Önal Liv Hospital Ankara Spec. MD. Mine Önal Respirology Prof. MD. İbrahim Can Kürkçüoğlu Liv Hospital Gaziantep Prof. MD. İbrahim Can Kürkçüoğlu Thoracic Surgery Spec. MD. Yeliz Karakan Liv Hospital Gaziantep Spec. MD. Yeliz Karakan Pulmonology Spec. MD. İsmail Doğan Liv Hospital Gaziantep Spec. MD. İsmail Doğan Pulmonology Spec. MD. Aziz Uluışık Liv Hospital Samsun Spec. MD. Aziz Uluışık Respirology Spec. MD. Saliha Ercan Bütün Liv Hospital Samsun Spec. MD. Saliha Ercan Bütün Pulmonology Spec. MD. FİRUZ MEMMEDOV Liv Bona Dea Hospital Bakü Spec. MD. FİRUZ MEMMEDOV Pulmonology Prof. MD. Adnan Sayar Liv Hospital Ulus + Liv Hospital Vadistanbul Prof. MD. Adnan Sayar Thoracic Surgery Prof. MD. Erkan Çakır Liv Hospital Ulus + Liv Hospital Vadistanbul + Liv Hospital Bahçeşehir Prof. MD. Erkan Çakır Pediatric Respirology Prof. MD. Songül Büyükkale Liv Hospital Ulus + Liv Hospital Vadistanbul Prof. MD. Songül Büyükkale Thoracic Surgery Spec. MD. Çiğdem Obuz Topuz Liv Hospital Ulus + Liv Hospital Vadistanbul Spec. MD. Çiğdem Obuz Topuz Thoracic Surgery

30 Years of
Excellence

Trusted Worldwide

With patients from across the globe, we bring over three decades of medical

Group 346 LIV Hospital

Reviews from 9,651

4,9

Worth a look

Related Videos
Departments
Our Doctors
News

Was this article helpful?

Was this article helpful?

I didn't like it
I LIKE

We're Here to Help.
Get in Touch.

Send us all your questions or requests, and our expert team will assist you.

Doctors
GDPR

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What defines sleep apnea?

CT scans use X-rays to create detailed cross-sectional images and are excellent for visualizing kidney stones, detecting tumors, and evaluating traumatic injuries. They are fast and widely available. MRI uses strong magnetic fields and radio waves to produce detailed images of soft tissues, making it superior for staging prostate cancer, evaluating bladder wall invasion, and assessing pelvic floor disorders without ionizing radiation.

Contrast dye, usually iodine-based, is injected into a vein to highlight the blood vessels and urinary tract organs. As the kidneys filter the dye from the blood, it opacifies the urine. This allows the radiologist to see the internal structure of the kidneys, the ureters, and the bladder clearly, revealing blockages, tumors, or structural abnormalities that would be invisible on a non-contrast scan.

Multiparametric MRI is an advanced imaging technique that combines standard anatomical sequences with functional sequences like Diffusion-Weighted Imaging and Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced imaging. This provides a comprehensive assessment of the prostate, allowing doctors to distinguish between benign conditions like BPH and significant prostate cancer, and to guide targeted biopsies.

CT scans do involve exposure to ionizing radiation, which carries a small theoretical risk of cellular damage over time. However, modern CT scanners use dose-modulation technology to minimize this exposure to the lowest level necessary for a diagnostic image. The benefit of an accurate and timely diagnosis for serious urological conditions typically far outweighs the minimal risk of radiation.

Many modern orthopedic implants are MRI-safe, although they may cause some image distortion. However, older pacemakers, defibrillators, and certain metal clips may be unsafe in the strong magnetic field. It is critical to inform the imaging team of any metallic implants so they can verify their safety compatibility or recommend an alternative test like a CT scan.

Spine Hospital of Louisiana

RELATED VIDEOS

RELATED VIDEOS

Need Help? Chat with our medical team

Let's Talk on WhatsApp

📌

Get instant answers from our medical team. No forms, no waiting — just tap below to start chatting now.

or call us at +90 530 174 42 04
liv-hospital-seeklogo
+90 530 174 42 04
Facebook-f X-twitter Instagram Youtube Linkedin-in Tiktok

How helpful was it?

helpful
GDPR
helpful
GDPR
helpful
GDPR
Contact Us
Contact Us
Medical Second Opinion