Central sleep apnea symptoms

What are the primary central sleep apnea symptoms? How are they different than the symptoms for obstructive sleep apnea, and what do those differences mean?

As we’ve been discussing over our past few blog entries, central sleep apnea (CSA) is a different kind of condition than obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). With OSA, your breathing is stopped because of physical obstructions – essentially, your throat muscles block your airways, causing “apneas” (a word that, in Greek, literally means “without breath”).

In central sleep apnea, though, the cause of blocked breathing isn’t physical; it’s caused by a miscommunication between your brain and your nervous system. Basically, your brain fails to tell your body to breathe continuously throughout the night.

But even though the nature of these two conditions is different, the symptoms sometimes aren’t. Central sleep apnea symptoms can be the same as obstructive sleep apnea symptoms. They can also be markedly different. It all depends on the individual, of course.

The main central sleep apnea symptoms

Central sleep apnea, like all forms of sleep apnea, involves the disruption of your sleep repeatedly throughout the night due to pauses in your breathing. That disruption means that some basic symptoms are usually going to exist, no matter what type of sleep apnea you have.

These symptoms include:

• Loud and/or chronic snoring
• Daytime drowsiness
• Chronic fatigue
• Morning headaches
• Irritability, depression or mood swings
• Difficulty concentrating during the day
• Waking up feeling tired and not rested
• Waking up frequently during the night to urinate
• A feeling of dryness or soreness in the mouth and/or throat

Unique central sleep apnea symptoms

Since CSA is caused by the nervous system, which in turn is often caused by other, underlying conditions, central sleep apnea symptoms can sometimes be very different than the basic sleep apnea symptoms listed above. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s MedlinePlus website, these other central sleep apnea-specific symptoms include:

• Changes in your voice or speech patterns
• Difficulty swallowing
• A feeling of weakness or numbness in your body

If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms – or if someone close to you is – we encourage you to talk to your doctor about the possibility that you may have central sleep apnea (or obstructive sleep apnea). If your central sleep apnea symptoms are persistent, you may be scheduled for a sleep test to help your doctor determine the precise nature of your condition.

This blog post contains general information about medical conditions and potential treatments. It is not medical advice. If you have any medical questions, please consult your doctor.