What is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep Apnea (from Greek, meaning "without breath") is one of the most common sleep disorders in which breathing stops and then restarts again recurrently during slumber.
Sleep Apnea can appear in three different forms: Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), the most common type, happens when an obstacle in the airway disrupts normal respiration. Central Sleep Apnea (CSA) - happens when the brain fails to send the neurological signal to the muscles responsible for breathing. and Mixed Sleep Apnea - a combination of both OSA and CSA sleep disorders.
OSA patients will commonly suffer from low oxygen levels in the blood, high blood pressure and an overall decrease in the quality of life due to daytime drowsiness and headaches.
Who is prone to suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
Men are twice more likely than women to suffer from OSA while older adults are twice and even triple more likely to have it.
Specific risk factors include:
- Over weight.
- Smoking.
- Snoring.
- Alcohol consumption and use of sedatives (which make the throat and tongue muscles relax).
- Anatomical abnormalities such as: Enlarged tongue, tonsils or uvula, adenoids, receding chin or a deviated septum.
- Nasal blockages or congestions.
- Family history of OSA.
Symptoms of OSA:
- Loud snoring.
- Struggles for breath or choking.
- Sudden and frequent awakenings (though the patient himself might not recall those).
- Day time drowsiness.
- Waking up with headaches, a sore throat or a dry mouth.
