Dangers of Central Sleep Apnea

People who stop breathing temporarily while they sleep suffer from a condition called Sleep Apnea. Central Sleep Apnea is a specific form of Sleep Apnea in which the brain ceases to send signals to the muscles that expand and contract the lungs.

Primary Causes of Central Sleep Apnea?

The causes of Central Sleep Apnea are generally nervous system disorders that damage the brain stem. Since primary bodily functions like breathing are controlled by the brainstem, any damage to that part of the brain due to disease or injury can cause interruptions in the signals the brainstem sends to different parts of the body.

Conditions that can cause or lead to central sleep apnea include:

• Bulbar poliomyelitis
• Complications of cervical spine surgery
• Encephalitis affecting the brainstem
• Neurodegenerative illnesses such as Parkinson’s disease
• Radiation of the cervical spine
• Severe arthritis and degenerative changes in the cervical spine or the base of the skull
• Severe obesity
• Stroke affecting the brainstem
• Primary hypoventilation syndrome
• Use of certain medications such as narcotic-containing painkillers

One specific form of Central Sleep Apnea is caused by congestive heart failure and not by a neurological disorder. In rare cases Central Sleep Apnea can occur without an underlying medical condition which is called Idiopathic Central Sleep Apnea.

Symptoms

If you have episodes of disrupted breathing during sleep you are suffering from some form of Sleep Apnea. If you or your partner notice periods of interrupted breathing during the night you should see a physician about Sleep Apnea. Since observing breathing stoppages while asleep may be difficult to do, the following symptoms may also indicate Sleep Apnea:

• Chronic fatigue
• Daytime sleepiness
• Morning headaches
• Restless sleep

Since the underlying cause of Central Sleep Apnea is often a neurological disease, symptoms of those diseases may also be clues to diagnosing the disorder. Symptoms are specific to the disorder and what part of the nervous system affected but may include:

• Difficulty swallowing
• Voice changes
• Weakness or numbness throughout the body

Diagnosing Central Sleep Apnea

Testing for Central Sleep Apnea starts with determining the underlying nervous system disorder causing the interrupted breathing. Your doctor will conduct a physical examination and may include an MRI or lung function tests. To confirm Sleep Apnea, a doctor will perform what is called a polysomnogram. A polysomnogram is a sleep study that will determine conclusively if you stop breathing during sleep.

Treatment

Oxygen is the normal treatment for Sleep Apnea of all kinds. Doctors may prescribe a breathing mask to be worn while you sleep called a nasal CPAP or a bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP.) If the Sleep Apnea is a result of damage to the central Nervous System, drugs may be prescribed to stimulate breathing. If the Central Sleep Apnea is caused by a heart condition, the goal would be to treat the heart condition which would relieve the Central Sleep Apnea.

The success of these treatments will depend on the cause of the Central Sleep apnea.