What is central sleep apnea?

The medical condition referred to as central sleep apnoea (CSA) is a form of sleep apnoea that leads to breathing stops during sleep. Central sleep apnoea typically presents as a complication of other diseases or medication or drug use. For example, CSA can be present in patients with heart disease. Doctors focus on treating the underlying disease.

What are the types of central sleep apnea?

Central sleep apnea can take different forms:

• Primary CSA: You don't know why central sleep apnea develops.
• Cheyne-Stokes Breathing with CSA: You are cycling when your breathing takes off. You can't have regular gaps in many breaths unless there is breathing between those cycles. That interval ranges from 40–90 seconds.
• CSA caused by disease of underlying body organs like diseases affecting the central nervous system and cardiac disease.
• Emergent CSA for treatment: Central sleep apnoea may occasionally develop in someone using a CPAP machine to treat obstructive sleep apnoea.
• Occasional breathing at high altitude.
• CSA caused by prescription opioid-containing pain medications, or use disorder of opioids.

What are the symptoms of central sleep apnoea?

Most symptoms of central sleep apnoea occur when you are awake. Some signs of central sleep apnoea include the following:

• Daytime somnolence.
• Severe headaches in the morning.
• Dry mouth.
• Agitation.
• Poor concentration.

You may wake up in the middle of the night for some unknown reason if you have CSA. You sleep a lot, but when you sleep with other people, they notice movement and restlessness.

What causes central sleep apnoea?

This develops when your brainstem is affected by something. Your respiratory system's muscles receive breathing messages from your brainstem.

Your brainstem does not respond appropriately to variations in the blood's carbon dioxide levels when you have central sleep apnoea. Your body releases carbon dioxide (CO₂) as trash when you exhale. You take deep breaths when your brainstem signals your respiratory muscles to suck in and push out air more frequently and deeply due to elevated carbon dioxide levels.

Your brainstem commands those muscles to pull in and release out air less frequently once your carbon dioxide levels have decreased. You pause breathing for several seconds, breathe more slowly than usual, or take fewer deep breaths.

What are the risk factors for central sleep apnoea?

You may be at greater risk if you:

• Are at least 60 years of age. Your brain control of breathing while you sleep is different when you get older.
• Are male or assigned male (amab) at birth.
• Have a heart condition such as atrial fibrillation or congestive heart failure.
• Have a neurological disorder like myasthenia gravis (mg), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (als), or stroke.
• Have an opioid use disorder or receive opioid painkillers.
• Possess some hereditary conditions like congenital central hypoventilation syndrome, prader-willi syndrome, or rett syndrome.
• Experience hypoxaemia or sleep apnoea requiring urgent treatment.

What are the complications of central sleep apnoea?

There may be more to central sleep apnoea than just disrupting sound sleep. Your body has to put up with a lot of frustration whenever you restart your breathing. More often than you would have it happen under normal circumstances, your breath stops and begins when you have central sleep apnoea. All that activity could damage your blood vessels and organs. Having central sleep apnoea may make you more prone to:

• Arrhythmia.
• Disturbed sleep.
• Exhaustion.
• Sleeplessness.

How is a diagnosis of central sleep apnoea made?

Medical professionals will question your symptoms and medical history, including any illnesses that may be contributing factors to central sleep apnoea.

To determine whether you have obstructive or central sleep apnoea, your doctor will advise you to take part in a sleep study. During a sleep study, you spend the night in a sleep laboratory so that your care team can track and examine the activity of many body systems. For example, they will track and examine your heartbeat, breathing patterns, and brain waves.

What is the treatment for central sleep apnoea?

Medical professionals use PAP devices to treat central sleep apnoea and prevent its symptoms. PAP systems include:

• Equipment that give continuous positive air pressure (CPAP).
• BiPAP devices, which provide bilevel positive air pressure.
• Machines with adaptive servo-ventilation (ASV).

Your provider will explain which of these solutions best for you.

Can I live a long life with central sleep apnea?

Central sleep apnea does not influence the lifespan of a patient.

How can I take care of myself?

You should keep working on or seeing a therapist for any other issues that might be contributing to your central sleep apnoea.

If you have central sleep apnoea, you should visit your doctor for regular check-ups. They will monitor how well you are responding to treatment and check for problems. Your provider may recommend that you have repeat sleep studies.

What should I ask my healthcare provider?

You may consider asking the following:

• How might I be diagnosed with central sleep apnea?
• Which treatments are you recommending?
• For how long might I need to be treated?
• Will treatment result in a cure for central sleep apnea?

Why Tender Palm Super-Speciality Hospital for central sleep apnea?

Tender Palm Hospital, owned by doctors, is renowned for attracting the most experienced professional in the country, with the finest neurologist and neurosurgeons specialized in central sleep apnea. Tender Palm stands out as the premier Neurology hospital in Lucknow, India. Boasting cutting-edge infrastructure and advanced technology, Tender Palm ensures top-notch medical care for its patients.

To seek an expert consultation for any Neurology condition

Call us at +91-9076972161
Email at care@tenderpalm.com

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