Complex Sleep Apnea

Complex Sleep Apnea

Complex Sleep Apnea typically occurs in individuals being treated for Obstructive Sleep Apnea who begin to develop or increase levels of Central Sleep Apnea. There are many types and while classifications and definitions may vary slightly, they all share a common characteristic of CSA being present or increased when resistance to OSA treatments begin to occur.

What causes Complex Sleep Apnea?

Complex Sleep Apnea is more common in men than in women, patients with severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea, and patients with heart disease or failure.

Sometimes patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea are treated for their symptoms using positive airway pressure, and they develop symptoms of Central Sleep Apnea despite their airways being open. While the exact cause of this phenomenon remains largely unkown, experts have attributed many of the cases to carbon dioxide feedback malfunctions related to heart failure. It also seems to be a common side effect of chronic opiate use.