Many make the mistake of thinking that sleep apnea is only one form when it really comes in three: obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea, and complex sleep apnea syndrome. Recognizing these three types, and understanding the difference between each, is essential for one to maintain a good amount of information in regard to his/her sleep health.
The first form of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea which is a “more common form that occurs when throat muscles relax.” The second form of sleep apnea is central sleep apnea which “occurs when your brain doesn’t send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing.” And the third form of sleep apnea is complex sleep apnea syndrome which is “also known as treatment-emergent central sleep apnea, which occurs when someone has both obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea.”
Consequently, trying to determine which is which is where things can get a little bit more complicated because some of the symptoms for the three different types of sleep apnea can start to overlap. This, in turn, makes it hard to distinguish between the exact form of sleep apnea that one might have, and risk confusion.
However, that doesn’t go to say that there aren’t certain symptoms that can be used to determine whether or not one has some form of sleep apnea. Such signs are listed as follows; “gasping for air during the night, difficulty paying attention while awake,” and “morning headache” among others. But symptoms may differ from person to person depending on the type of sleep apnea, and how mild – and/or severe – it is.
Oftentimes, how severe a person’s sleep apnea is depends on how much – and/or how many times throughout the night that that person’s breathing has stopped. This is a determining factor that plays a significant role by helping to assess just how serious the case is of the patient. It is also very possible for their breath to become shallow – throughout the night – in between the times in which they use their breath all together.
In conclusion, no matter what type of sleep apnea that a person has there are ways to make it better – and/or more bearable – for them to not only sleep, but to handle the condition itself. That’s why it’s so important to seek treatment – and/or advice – from a medically licensed health care professional. For it is only through them that a more in depth – and proper – diagnosis can be done.