A Condition Known as Central Sleep Apnea
Central sleep apnea is a medical condition in which a person stops breathing several times throughout the day or night. This happens when the brain stops sending signals to the muscles which control breathing. This condition often occurs in people who are suffering from severe illnesses such as diseases of the spinal column or brain stem. If these areas are damaged in some way, the correct and appropriate signals are not being received to control breathing while the person is asleep or awake. There are several other conditions that might also cause sleep apnea and they include Bulbar poliomyelitis, complications resulting from cervical spinal surgery, Encephalitis, Parkinson’s Disease, severe Arthritis at the base of the skull and even some medications. This form of apnea is not caused by a blockage in the airway as it is in obstructive sleep apnea.
Of the two different types of sleep apnea – obstructive and central – obstructive sleep apnea is the most common and it causes the person to breathe abnormally because of some type of obstruction in the airways. It can be treated with a breathing device or by making some specific lifestyle changes. The other type of sleep apnea is much more difficult to treat because it is often associated with heart failure and causes the brain to inadequately trigger the body to breathe normally. Recent studies have shown that patients in cardiac arrest often experience sleep apnea and end up with dangerously abnormal heart rhythms. The problem is that these abnormalities don’t show up until after any outward indication of dysfunction is evident. In fact, heart failure sometimes develops as a result of central apnea and is not necessarily a symptom of the condition.
Central sleep apnea is something that needs to be addressed quickly and effectively by medical professionals. When a person repeatedly stops breathing while asleep or awake is an indication that there is a serious problem going on. It warns that the brain is having trouble sending the right signals to muscles in the body. It is something that medical professional watch for whenever they have a seriously ill person in their care