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Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
"I can't even tell you how important this is" — expert reveals why 90% of women don't know they have sleep apnea
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Sleep apnea is a condition where your breathing temporarily stops or is disrupted during the night. When you experience this, your brain automatically wakes you from your slumber. You might let out a loud snore, a snort or make a gasping sound in order to breathe again. In women, snoring can be much less pronounced so it's not as easy to tell from this symptom alone. Women are more likely to experience daytime sleepiness, impaired focus and mood changes. This can lead to delays in diagnosis as sleep apnea in women can be mistaken for anxiety, depression and menopause. As the signs are more subtle, research suggests as many as 90% of women who have sleep apnea may be unaware they have it. We've chatted with a sleep medicine specialist and a clinical sleep educator to find out more about this important sleep health topic for women. What is sleep apnea? 'Sleep apnea is a condition where breathing stops or is disrupted at night time, eroding an individual's quality of sleep,' explains Dr Anthony Izzo, a board-certified neurologist and sleep medicine specialist who is Sleep Center Medical Director at St Vincent Hospital. 'Each time breathing stops, the brain receives an alert about low oxygen, and it's forced from a deep stage of sleep to a light stage to brief wakefulness in order to address the alert.' There are two main types of sleep apnea: obstructive and central. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is much more common says Dr Izzo. 'OSA occurs because tissues in the top of the airway, behind the nose and mouth, collapse down when the muscles that keep them up relax during sleep as this blocks the flow of air to the lungs,' he explains. 'Central sleep apnea happens when the brain doesn't create the right signal to breath,' he adds. 'It's associated with underlying medical conditions like congestive heart failure, lung diseases, or long-term use of opioid medications. But we don't see much of this in clinical practice.' Does sleep apnea affect women differently to men? Yes, it very much does. Women are more likely to experience subtle symptoms such as mood changes and not being able to focus or concentrate well day after day. This means diagnosis can be delayed or the condition can be mistaken for the symptoms of the menopause or depression. 'I can't even tell you how important this is as sleep apnea in women often goes undiagnosed,' explains Lauri Leadley, clinical sleep educator, president and founder of Valley Sleep Center. 'The symptoms are sometimes attributed to general life challenges such as stress, and the menopause. But the truth is sleep apnea in women is overlooked.' Symptoms of sleep apnea in women Although men and women do experience some similar symptoms of sleep apnea, like snoring, there are also differences. Women are more likely to experience these subtle signs. Frequent morning headaches If you're prone to starting your mornings with a dull headache, this could be a tell-tale sign. Morning headaches that are present as soon as you wake up are associated with obstructive sleep apnea. A 2015 study published in the Journal of Headache and Pain looked at 48 people who had been diagnosed with OSA and experienced morning headaches. They found 25% had morning headaches for more than 15 days per month. Mood changes Obstructive sleep apnea and its impact on sleep quality can also worsen feeling anxious, irritable and impatient. It can affect your mood and could also lead to depression. 'Sometimes when your symptoms aren't severe, it can be easy to write them off as nothing to worry about,' Lauri explains. 'But my advice is to be mindful about frequent mood swings that regularly leave you feeling anxious or low. No, it is not just you being bitchy or hard to deal with.' Forgetfulness and fuzzy thinking Although women with sleep apnea are less likely to experience loud snoring as they suddenly wake during the night, the condition can still disrupt their sleep quality. Unsurprisingly, this has a knock-on impact on your cognitive health. You may have difficulty thinking clearly, and your attention, focus and concentration can also be impaired. 'Having trouble with focus or memory throughout the day may be the only symptoms a woman with sleep apnea experiences, even though they might not think it's related,' explains Dr Izzo. Dry mouth in the morning Regularly waking up with a dry mouth or sore throat can also indicate obstructive sleep apnea. It's regarded as a key symptom in OSA and it's caused by your breathing being impaired throughout the night. This can lead to a drop in oxygen concentration as a result of open-mouth breathing. Your mouth then becomes dry and you could also be more likely to experience morning headaches too. Needing to go the toilet more at night 'Frequent urination during the night can also be a sign of sleep apnea in women,' says Lauri. As OSA causes frequent sleep disruptions, you may find this makes you want to go to the toilet more during the night. If you find you're waking to urinate several times at night, it could still indicate OSA (even if it seems like a separate and unrelated issue). What causes sleep apnea in women? Some of the causes of OSA are similar for both men and women. For example, weight gain and the shape or anatomy of the upper airway. With central sleep apnea, it's often associated with underlying medical conditions such as congestive heart failure and lung diseases. We also see sleep apnea worsen during menopause Hormonal changes can play a key role in the onset of sleep apnea in women as Dr Izzo explains. 'We know that sleep apnea typically can happen in patients without a prior history, starting in the second trimester of pregnancy. It can worsen in severity throughout the second and third trimesters,' he says. 'We also see sleep apnea worsen during menopause, although typically patients will have already been diagnosed pre-menopause in this situation,' he adds. 'Menopause is often associated with weight gain, which in turn, worsens sleep apnea severity.' How women can treat sleep apnea While the symptoms of sleep apnea may present differently, the solutions remain largely the same. But it's different for everyone, so be sure to speak directly with a physician. Below are common treatments for sleep apnea. Lifestyle changes For mild sleep apnea, lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking and losing weight and improving sleep hygiene can be very beneficial in treating the condition. If you also have allergies which affect your breathing such as allergic rhinitis, your physician or sleep specialist could suggest a treatment that could help to mitigate your allergy symptoms. Keeping regularly active is good for your lungs as well as your general health and could help to reduce the number of breathing pauses you experience while you sleep. CPAP mask If lifestyle changes don't fully help to treat your sleep apnea symptoms, you may be provided with a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine and mask. 'A CPAP mask is considered first line for sleep apnea as it's effective for all severities of OSA,' says Dr Izzo. The machine works by delivering air at pressure through a mask that is placed over your nose and mouth. It can help to keep your airways open to prevent impaired breathing while you sleep. Mouthguard Another treatment alternative for mild to moderate sleep apnea is an oral device such as a sleep apnea mouthguard that you would wear at bedtime. These are designed to keep your throat open while you sleep to lessen symptoms. They work by preventing your tongue from blocking your throat and this can help to prevent snoring. Another option is a mouthguard that works slightly differently by moving your lower jaw forward to keep your throat open. These oral devices are easier to use but you may not find them comfortable, and they may not work for everyone.
Medscape
03-07-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Elite Rowers Face Lasting Atrial Fibrillation Risk
Former world-class rowers have an elevated risk for atrial fibrillation (AF) in the years after retirement, according to an observational case-control study. Researchers found 1 in 5 former Olympic, world, or national-level Australian rowers aged 45-80 years had the heart rhythm anomaly. The ex-rowers, who had competed for at least 10 years, were nearly seven times more likely to have been diagnosed with AF compared to a control group. During a follow-up period of around 4 years, new cases of AF were also higher among the ex-rowers (6.3% vs 2.3%), according to the researchers, who published their findings last month in the European Heart Journal . 'As a clinician, I was not surprised that rowers experienced more AF,' said André La Gerche, PhD, MD, a cardiologist and head of the Heart Exercise And Research Trials Lab at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute and St Vincent's Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, and senior author of the study. 'However, I was very surprised by the magnitude of the difference. Furthermore, I learnt that the risk persists years after retirement and is not just due to genetic factors.' André La Gerche, PhD, MD The findings are 'consistent with prior research demonstrating that endurance athletes — especially highly trained endurance athletes — seem to have this higher risk of AF,' said Gregory Marcus, MD, MAS, a cardiac electrophysiologist and the inaugural Endowed Professor of Atrial Fibrillation Research at the University of California, San Francisco. Gregory Marcus, MD, MAS 'These numbers nudge me in the direction of more aggressively screening for AF specifically in masters-aged rowers, such as with the use of Holter monitors or wearable devices approved to detect AF,' said Jeffrey Hsu, MD, an assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Cardiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles. Jeffrey Hsu, MD La Gerche and his team captured data from 121 former rowers — 75% men, all White, with a median age of 62 years — who were matched with more than 11,000 control individuals from the UK Biobank who had never rowed and had varying fitness levels. The ex-rowers had similar rates of ischemic heart disease and diabetes as did the control individuals, but lower blood pressure. They also were less likely to have ever smoked. The athletes showed persistent changes in cardiac function after retirement. Ex-rowers had larger left ventricles, lower heart rates, longer PQ intervals, and longer QT intervals compared to control individuals. The research, 'raises the question of whether certain types of intensive exercise — like elite-level competitive rowing — leads to long-lasting, perhaps even irreversible, enlargement of the cardiac chambers,' Hsu said. Genetics factored into the risk for AF among both groups. While the prevalence of rare variants in genes associated with cardiomyopathy was low across the study, the combined risk for individual genes associated with AF was a strong predictor of the disease in both athletes (odds ratio [OR], 3.7) and nonathletes (OR, 2.0). The proportions were similar between them ( P = .37), indicating genetics did not fully account for the increased risk in the ex-rowers, La Gerche said. Marcus flagged a few factors that may have skewed the results. The former athletes tended to be tall, White, and in many cases, drank more alcohol than control individuals — all of these factors increase the risk for AF. Because the ex-rowers volunteered for a cardiovascular study, selection bias could have skewed prevalence higher, Marcus said. After a sensitivity analysis, ex-rowers still had a 2.5-fold higher risk for AF in the case of a 100% selection bias. La Gerche emphasized the findings shouldn't dissuade clinicians from encouraging regular exercise or high-level sports training. 'The overall health outcomes of these rowers are generally superb,' La Gerche said. 'Rather, this highlights an important 'Achilles heel' that requires attention and, ideally, effective prevention strategies so that sports can be enjoyed by more people, more often.' The study was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council. La Gerche, Hsu, and Marcus reported having no relevant financial conflicts of interest.
BreakingNews.ie
27-06-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
Woman (60s) seriously injured after being hit by truck in Gorey Co Wexford
A female pedestrian in her 60s has been seriously injured after being hit by a truck on Main Street, Gorey, Co Wexford, on Friday morning. Gardaí and emergency services responded to the collision at around 10.45am. Advertisement The woman was brought to St Vincent's University Hospital for treatment of her injuries. The road was closed for a time but has since reopened. Investigations are ongoing, a garda statement said.
Irish Times
16-06-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
Builders include provision for €500m in contingency costs for new maternity hospital
Builders pitching for the contract for the new National Maternity Hospital are understood to have included contingency amounts of about €500 million to cover any rising costs during construction. The Irish Times reported last month that tenders for the new hospital were coming in at about €1.5 billion but other bills associated with developing and commissioning the facility could push the final price to €2 billion. Sources said in many cases a significant amount of the tender price is made up of contingency costs. They said the contingency amount is often about €500 million, as building companies fear costs will rise during the project as happened with the new national children's hospital. Construction firm Bam has come under strong criticism over escalating costs and delays in completing the new national children's hospital, which is being developed at St James's Hospital campus in Dublin . READ MORE The maternity hospital is to be developed on the campus of St Vincent's hospital at Elm Park in Dublin 4. It will replace the existing and ageing National Maternity Hospital at Holles Street. The project was first announced by then minister for health James Reilly more than a decade ago, but it has been beset by delays. The project experienced rows over governance, ethos and whether there could be restrictions on the types of services provided to women treated there. The estimated cost of the new hospital is now running at more than 10 times the amount suggested in 2013. Tenders for its construction have been examined by an evaluation group in the HSE and were scheduled to be given to a project board. Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill will have to bring a final business case to Cabinet later this year if the project is to receive final approval. 'The tenders are higher than expected,' a senior individual involved in the project told The Irish Times. Dr Reilly said in May 2013 that an 'indicative sum' of €150 million had been approved for the project. At the time it was forecast that construction would begin in late 2016 and the hospital would be completed in 2018. Campaigners, including some prominent medical figures, argued it would have a Catholic ethos because of the legacy of religious control of St Vincent's, which was founded by an order of nuns. They contended this could prevent certain treatments being made available that are legal in Ireland but not permitted under church rules . But the then government, other staff at Holles Street and authorities at St Vincent's rejected these suggestions. Ultimately a 299-year lease was secured on the site to ensure its operational and clinical independence. Cost estimates for the project have increased significantly. In February 2017 the HSE projected it would cost €296 million. In June 2021 the Department of Health said cost estimates had risen to about €800 million, including €300 million for commissioning and transferring services from Holles Street.
BreakingNews.ie
14-06-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
Four males charged after couple (60s) threatened with firearm in Dublin
The four males, one aged in his 60s, one in his 20s, and two juvenile youths, who were arrested in connection with aggravated burglary at a residence in Shanganagh Cliffs, Shankill, Co Dublin, on Wednesday, have since been charged. During the course of the aggravated burglary, four individuals entered the home of a couple in their 60s and assaulted and threatened the couple with a firearm. Advertisement The four individuals left the scene in a vehicle and an electric bike. The owner of the home, a man in his 60s, was removed from the scene to St Vincent's University Hospital for non-life threatening injuries. Gardaí immediately responded to the incident and a search of the area took place by gardaí attached to Shankill Garda station. Gardaí arrested three individuals when they stopped a vehicle and a fourth individual was arrested a short distance away who was on a electric bike. During the course of the search of the area a semi-automatic firearm was recovered. All four are due to appear before Dublin District Court at the Criminal Courts of Justice on Saturday.
