Central sleep apnea here differential diagnosis

Template:Central sleep apnea Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

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Differentiating Central Sleep Apnea from other Diseases

Central sleep apnea should be differentiated from obstructive sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is characterized by obesity and snoring, and the apnea is caused by obstruction. The obstruction can be a result of obesity and increased neck circumference, or as a result of obstruction due to aberrant laryngeal anatomy. Excessive daytime sleepiness is a feature of both obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea. Therefore central sleep apnea needs to be differentiated from other conditions that cause excessive daytime sleepiness, such as;

• Restless leg syndrome - a syndrome characterized by the feeling of needing to move one's legs during rest.
• Narcolepsy - a condition consisting of excessive daytime sleepiness, cataplexy, distorted perceptions, hypnogogic hallucinations, and sleep paralysis