What is sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea is a common and usually an undiagnosed condition that disrupts sleep. Patients suffering from sleep apnea have one or more pauses or shallow breathing while sleeping. Breathing pauses can last from few seconds to minutes and then starts again sometimes with a loud snort or chocking sound. Sleep apnea is usually a chronic condition and the person suffering from it is not aware of the pauses in breathing but finds himself or herself with daytime sleepiness.
What is the most common type of sleep apnea?
The most common type of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea which often means that the airway has collapsed or is blocked during sleep.
What does sleep apnea cause?
Sleep apnea causes poor sleep quality and sleepiness during the day.
What are the risks associated with sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea increases the risk of hypertension or high blood pressure, heart disease, heart attacks, stroke, obesity and diabetes, heart failure, arrhythmias and or irregular heartbeats and the chance of having work-related or driving accidents.
Who is at risk of sleep apnea?
Millions of people suffer from obstructive sleep apnea and more than half of the people who suffer from this sleep disorder are overweight. This condition is more common in males and becomes more common as you get older. It is also thought that you are more likely to develop sleep apnea if a member in your family suffers from this sleep disorder.
What are the signs and symptoms of sleep apnea?
The most common sign of obstructive sleep apnea is ongoing snoring. Patients may also suffer from pauses and gasping while sleeping. Patients with this sleep disorder most likely do not know that they are having problems with breathing or are able to judge the severity of their problem. A family member or bed partner will often discover these problems before you are aware of them.
Other common signs of sleep apnea are sleepiness during the day, at work or while driving. Patients just don’t feel as though they have had a good night’s rest. Some other signs and symptoms of sleep apnea may include: morning headaches, memory or problems with learning, feeling irritable or depressed, a dry throat upon awakening.