June 30, 2023, 12:11 pm | Read time: 5 minutes

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), more commonly known as sleep apnea, is a serious breathing disorder associated with snoring. Those affected experience pauses in breathing during sleep, which can lead to various health issues, including daytime fatigue. Recently, it was revealed that U.S. President Joe Biden also suffers from this condition, as do about 4% of the German population. Read on FITBOOK to learn how sleep apnea manifests and what can be done to address it.

Sleep Apnea–These Are the Symptoms

People with sleep apnea snore. This can manifest as a noticeably dry mouth in the morning.¹ Due to apnea (translated: “non-breathing”), sufferers often stop breathing for up to ten seconds at a time while asleep. During this time, they are awake without consciously realizing it. Symptoms of sleep apnea can also include daytime sleepiness because sufferers do not get proper rest at night. Many find it difficult to concentrate at work, and they often have headaches. This exhausting syndrome can reduce quality of life and lead to various health issues, such as loss of libido.

Also interesting: Is it normal to wake up at night?

Possible Secondary Diseases

Untreated sleep apnea can reduce life expectancy by an average of about ten years.² The breathing interruptions cause temporary oxygen deprivation in the brain at night. To compensate, the heart beats faster, often leading to circulatory disorders of the heart muscle. Half of those affected develop additional heart muscle diseases, as well as heart rhythm disorders and high blood pressure. They also have a significantly increased risk of stroke, heart attacks, and diabetes.

Obstructive and Central Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea is facilitated by a functional narrowing in the upper airways. It primarily affects men, especially older ones. Women typically develop it, if at all, only after menopause. Central sleep apnea is mainly age-related. It is estimated that one in four 60-year-olds in Germany suffers from central sleep apnea.

Causes and Risk Factors

The physical cause of sleep apnea or snoring is a narrowing of the throat. Many known risk factors exist, such as advancing age, as muscles in the throat relax more over the years. Genetic factors are also considered, as sleep apnea often runs in families. However, the specific factors are not yet thoroughly researched. Conditions like past strokes, neurodegenerative diseases, or inflammatory brain diseases can also underlie the condition.³

Crucial: Lifestyle

Overweight individuals are most commonly affected. In them, as in other parts of the body, the tissue in the throat and mouth is thickened, disrupting airflow due to narrowing. Habits that exacerbate sleep apnea symptoms include smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and the use of sleeping pills and sedatives.

Treat or Prevent Sleep Apnea

There are various ways to treat sleep apnea–from positioning aids and jaw splints to long-term CPAP therapy (with positive airway pressure) and surgery. Preventive measures are often very effective and can sometimes replace more complex interventions.

Reduce Weight

A significant weight loss can eliminate the need for alternative treatments, as shown in previous studies.^4,5 Especially when fat tissue in the upper body increases the risk of airway obstruction and narrowing, even moderate weight loss can help. To prevent the symptoms of sleep apnea from worsening again, maintaining the reduced weight is essential.

Exercise

More physical activity and less time sitting reduce the risk of developing (severe) sleep apnea. This is according to a summary of a previous study.⁶ The results are based on data from about 119,000 women and 19,000 men. Their physical activity and time spent sitting in front of the TV and/or outside the home were recorded every two to four years using questionnaires, and the severity of their symptoms was determined through validated self-reports. The results suggest that higher activity levels and less time sitting are associated with an improvement in symptoms.

Adjust Sleep Position

Even small changes in sleep position can reduce the risk of obstructive sleep apnea. This is supported by several previous studies. More than half of obstructive sleep apnea cases in the study were attributed to sleep position–specifically, lying on the back.^7,8,9

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Sources

• 1. Professional consultation by Dr. Roman Roitman, specialist in ear, nose, and throat medicine from Frankfurt am Main
• 2. Pulmonologists on the Net. Sleep Apnea, Effects. (accessed on 06/30/2023)
• 3. German Brain Foundation. Sleep Apnea Syndrome (accessed on 06/30/2023)
• 4. Anandam, A., Akinnusi, M., Kufel, T. et al. (2012). Effects of dietary weight loss on obstructive sleep apnea: a meta-analysis. Sleep and Breathing.
• 5. Lui, Y., Yang L, Stampfer, M.J. et al. (2021). Physical activity, sedentary behavior, and incidence of obstructive sleep apnea in three prospective US cohorts. European Respiratory Journal.
• 6. Loube, D.I., Loube, A.A., Mitler, M.M. (1994). Weight loss for obstructive sleep apnea: the optimal therapy for obese patients. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
• 7. Richard, W., Kox, D., den Herder, C. et al. (2006). The role of sleep position in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology.
• 8. Joosten, S.A., O’Driscoll, D.M., Berger, P.J. et al. (2013).Supine position related obstructive sleep apnea in adults: pathogenesis and treatment. Science Direct.
• 9. Fernandes do Prado, L.B., Thompson, R., Marcus, C.L. et al. (2002).Body position and obstructive sleep apnea in children. SLEEP (accessed 08/31/2021)
• 10. With material from dpa