If you are diagnosed with Cheyne-Stokes breathing, you might be wondering what are the different treatment options available and how is it connected to sleep apnea. Cheyne-Stokes breathing causes breathing to be abnormal usually but not always during sleep, and it involves apneas or pauses in breathing that is a characteristic of sleep apnea and hence often mistaken with sleep apnea. However, the key characteristic of Cheyne-Stokes breathing is the presence of other conditions such as heart failure which may pose a challenge in diagnosis and treatment.
In general, Cheyne-Stokes patients who have more than 20 apnoeas and hypopneas per hour of sleep should consider treatment and the treatment can be classified into five groups namely intensive heart failure treatment, respiratory stimulants, respiratory depressants, oxygen, and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). Most patients who are diagnosed with Cheyne-Stokes breathing would already be on medical treatment for congestive heart failure which diminishes the severity of Cheyne-Stokes respiration. Respiratory stimulants such as theophylline, carbon dioxide and acetazolamide have been used to treat Cheyne-Stokes breathing but should be used with caution as extensive testing was not completed and its side effects are not well studied. Moreover, patients are already hyperventilating and have weak respiratory muscles from congestive heart failure and Cheyne-Stokes respiration hence there is no strong need to use respiratory stimulants in the chronic treatment for this disorder. Similar to respiratory stimulants, respiratory depressants are not well studied and a couple of studies showed that they failed to reduce the frequency of central
sleep apnea occurrences. On the other hand, oxygen therapy seems to be effective as it allows patients to rise above the apnea threshold and a study has shown a significant fall in Cheyne-Stokes respiration with a single night of intranasal oxygen supplementation but it could also cause obstructive sleep apnea. Last but not least, CPAP has been shown in studies to have a beneficial short-term effect that draws similar benefits to CPAP therapy for sleep apnea patients. Essentially, based on studies thus far, the best treatment is medical therapy directed at congestive heart failure followed by CPAP therapy, and supplemental oxygen.
If you suspect that you might be at risk or have sleep apnea, it is important to consult a doctor to confirm the diagnosis early and the underlying issue of the cause of sleep apnea. Depending on your financial situation and sleep apnea condition, the doctor will work through with you the type of sleep apnea test in the comfort of your home or an in-lab sleep test to determine the precise nature of your condition and to avoid any long-term issues and early intervention such as CPAP OSA therapy with a sleep apnea device to stop snoring or sleep apnea CPAP trial from the equipment supplier, get betterquality of sleep, and healthier overall well-being.
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