Central Sleep Apnea

Central sleep apnea (CSA) is a form of sleep apnea, which causes you to experience pauses between breaths as you sleep. Typically, central sleep apnea is a complication of other medical issues or medication/drug use. For example, people with heart disease may develop CSA. Healthcare providers focus on treating the underlying condition.

Types of central sleep apnea

There are a few types of central sleep apnea:

Primary CSA. Central sleep apnea that has no apparent cause.
CSA with Cheyne-Stokes Breathing (CSB). If you have CSB, your breathing goes through cycles. You take frequent breaths followed by pauses in breathing. Each cycle lasts 40 to 90 seconds.
CSA due to underlying medical conditions like heart disease or neurological conditions.
Treatment-emergent CSA. Sometimes, people who have obstructive sleep apnea develop central sleep apnea after using a continuous positive air pressure (CPAP) machine.
CSA due to periodic high-altitude breathing.
CSA from taking prescription pain medication that contains opioids or opioid use disorder.

Symptoms

When to see a doctor

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Complications

Blood clots are a dangerous complication of atrial fibrillation (AFib). Blood clots can lead to stroke.

The risk of stroke from AFib increases as you grow older. Other health conditions also may increase the risk of a stroke due to AFib. These conditions include:

High blood pressure.
Diabetes.
Heart failure.
Some types of heart valve disease.

Blood thinners are commonly prescribed to prevent blood clots and strokes in people with atrial fibrillation.

Prevention

Healthy lifestyle choices can reduce the risk of heart disease and may prevent atrial fibrillation (AFib). Here are some basic heart-healthy tips:

Control high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
Don't smoke or use tobacco.
Eat a diet that's low in salt and saturated fat.
Exercise at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week unless your health care team says not to.
Get good sleep. Adults should aim for 7 to 9 hours daily.
Maintain a healthy weight.
Reduce and manage stress.

By Freedmans Health Clinic Staff

Living with atrial fibrillation?

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