Central Sleep Apnea

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• QHow does central sleep apnea affect the body?

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  A Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center answered

  Central sleep apnea affects the body by interfering with sleep. Less oxygen and more carbon dioxide get into your bloodstream than they would otherwise. As you sleep, your breath might be irregular. Your brain does not adjust the breathing to the level of oxygen in the blood as it normally would. During the day, you may not feel well-rested, and you may have trouble concentrating; you may also have headaches.
• QIs central sleep apnea a sleep disorder?

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  A Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center answered

  Central sleep apnea is a sleep disorder. With central sleep apnea, there is a communication problem between the brain stem and the respiratory system. This causes pauses between breaths to last too long. Central sleep apnea is relatively rare and is not related to obesity like some other sleep apneas, but can be brought on by heart problems, strokes, or mini-strokes.

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• QWhat is central sleep apnea?

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  A Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center answered

  Central sleep apnea is a sleep disorder. During sleep, breathing stops many times for ten seconds or longer. This may cause snoring, snorting, gasping, or choking during sleep. The frequent interruptions caused by sleep apnea may lead to an unsatisfying night's sleep.

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• QWhat causes central sleep apnea?

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  A Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center answered

  With central sleep apnea, there is a communication problem between the brain stem and the respiratory system when you are asleep. This causes pauses between breaths to last too long. Central sleep apnea can be brought on by heart failure, stroke, brain tumor, high altitude, or opioid use.

• QWhat are the symptoms of central sleep apnea?

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  A Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center answered

  Central sleep apnea can have different symptoms. Your breath might be shallow, or it might stop entirely for ten seconds or more as you sleep. You might choke, snort, gasp, or snore while you sleep. However, in central sleep apnea, snoring is not as prominent as in obstructive sleep apnea. Your breathing might be irregular and interrupted by pauses. Cheyne-Stokes respiration is an example of central apnea. When you have Cheyne-Stokes respiration, your breathing slowly becomes more rapid, slows down again, stops for a short period, then starts up again. The cycle continues, and every cycle lasts from 30 seconds to two minutes. During the day, you may not feel well-rested, and you may have trouble concentrating. You might have morning headaches, irritability, forgetfulness, mood or behavior changes, anxiety, or depression.

• QWhat increases my risk for central sleep apnea?

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  A Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center answered

  A history of heart failure can increase your risk of central sleep apnea. So can a brain tumor, stroke, or other medical problem that can affect communication between the brain stem and the respiratory system. Other factors that raise your risk are being at a high altitude, taking opioids, and being male.

• QHow is central sleep apnea diagnosed?

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  A Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center answered

  Central sleep apnea can be diagnosed by a doctor. Your doctor might examine you and ask you questions. Your doctor might send you to a sleep lab for a polysomnography test to look at your heart, lungs, brain, limb movements, and breathing as you sleep. They might also test the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide in your blood. At a sleep lab, you are monitored as you sleep, and a doctor interprets the test results.

• QWhat are the treatment options for central sleep apnea?

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  A Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center answered

  Many treatment options are available for sleep apnea. Your doctor will be able to suggest the option that is best for you. If you central sleep apnea is caused by an underlying medical problem, your doctor may recommend treating it. They also may suggest taking or discontinuing certain drugs, using oxygen at night, or using CPAP, bi-level PAP, or ASV to assist your nighttime breathing.

• QHow do medications treat central sleep apnea?

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  A Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center answered

  Only rarely are medications given to treat central sleep apnea. If you are going somewhere at a very high altitude, your doctor may suggest the prescription drug acetazolamide to prevent central sleep apnea. Some cases of sleep apnea are caused by medical conditions that can be treated with drugs. Or your doctor may suggest avoiding opioids, which can trigger sleep apnea. Follow your doctor's recommendations about your treatment.

• QAre there alternative treatments for central sleep apnea?

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  A Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center answered

  There are few or no proven alternative treatments recommended for central sleep apnea. But since many cases of central sleep apnea are caused by another medical condition, treating that condition may help clear up your sleep apnea symptoms. For more specific recommendations, talk to your doctor.