Sleep apnea symptoms can upend a career, disrupt a diet and, at their worst, cost someone years of their life. But there are treatments that can help. People who snore or have other symptoms may benefit from a home or clinic-based sleep study. Obstructive sleep apnea often results from a large throat and tongue, thick neck and enlarged tonsils, but other health conditions such as heart disease and endocrine disorders also can contribute to the condition.

Symptoms

If you have sleep apnea, your breathing stops repeatedly during your sleep. This interrupts your normal sleep cycle and prevents you from getting the restful, restorative sleep that your body needs. The interruptions in your sleep can lead to fatigue, memory problems and mood changes. They can also make you more prone to accidents, including car crashes.

Some symptoms of sleep apnea include loud snoring (though not everyone who snores has sleep apnea) and pauses in breathing during sleep. You may wake up feeling breathless or like you’re choking. You might have headaches, a dry mouth or sore throat, and irritability.

Certain things can raise your risk for obstructive sleep apnea, including being overweight, having a large upper airway or nasal congestion, smoking, family history of OSA, age, and certain medical conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease. In addition, some medications can raise your risk, especially sedatives and alcohol. If you have these risks, talk to your doctor about them.

Diagnosis

The best way to diagnose sleep apnea is with an overnight sleep study, called polysomnography. This exam occurs in a lab on a night when you usually sleep, and it measures muscle movement, blood oxygen levels, snoring, heart rate, and more. It is considered the gold standard for diagnosing sleep apnea.

If you have symptoms of sleep apnea, talk to your health care provider. He or she may refer you to an ear, nose and throat specialist to rule out blockages in your throat or nasal passages. A heart specialist, known as a cardiologist, or a doctor who specializes in the brain, called a neurologist, might also be involved to look for causes of central sleep apnea. People with obstructive sleep apnea often have enlarged tonsils or adenoids, thick necks, or other physical changes that narrow the airway and interfere with breathing. They may complain of feeling nauseous, or they might wake up with a sense of choking or gasping.

Treatment

Sleep apnea can lead to serious health problems, especially if left untreated. It can damage your heart and brain, raise blood pressure, and cause diabetes and heart disease. It can also make it hard to concentrate and remember things. And it can harm your relationships with the people who love you.

Treatment options include lifestyle changes, weight loss, breathing devices, surgery, and medication. Changing your lifestyle can help you get better sleep and reduce snoring and daytime sleepiness. You can use a breathing device (such as a continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, machine) to keep your upper airway open while you sleep.

You may need surgery to fix the problem that causes your sleep apnea. For example, you might need surgery to remove your tonsils or adenoids, adjust your jaw, or have throat surgery. You might also have surgery to treat conditions linked with sleep apnea, such as enlarged prostate or a thick neck, atrial fibrillation, or hard-to-control high blood pressure.

Prevention

You can reduce your risk of sleep apnea by staying at a healthy weight, exercising regularly, and sleeping on your side or stomach rather than on your back. Other preventive steps include not smoking and avoiding alcohol or sleeping pills.

Obstructive sleep apnea can be found in people of all ages, but it most often affects men over age 40 and women after the age of 50. People who are overweight, especially those with excess fat around their neck, are at greater risk of developing obstructive sleep apnea. People with large tonsils or enlarged adenoids may also be at risk.

Untreated sleep apnea can cause serious health problems, including high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. It can also lead to mood changes, daytime drowsiness, and difficulty concentrating. In extreme cases, sleep apnea can be dangerous, increasing the risk of accidents in the workplace or while driving or using power tools. It can also raise the risk of death by heart attack or stroke.