Sleep Apnea - An Overview

If undiagnosed and untreated, Sleep Apnea can lead to high blood pressure and other cardiovascular disease, impotency, memory problems, headaches, weight gain, falling asleep at inappropriate times, feelings of deprenocturiaeflux, nocturia (a need to use the bathroom frequently at night), as well as work impairment and accidents due to fatigue. Experts have found that children with untreated sleep apnea may be hyperactive, that is way more active then they normally are. Abnormalities in the structure of the upper airway, excess weight, a family history of sleep apnea, a large neck, a recessed chin, smoking, and alcohol use are all factors that can contribute to Sleep Apnea.

Types of Sleep Apnea

There are three recognized types of Sleep Apnea: obstructive, central, and mixed. Obstructive Sleep Apnea is by far the most common. While the cause is different in each type, all three are characterized by repeated cessation of breathing during sleep usually accompanied by loud, continuous snoring.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

OSA is the most common of the three recognized forms of Sleep Apnea. In OSA, the soft tissue in the back of the throat, weak from damage, genetics or disease, can collapse while you are asleep and partially of fully block your airways. Then you can stop breathing often for a minute or longer and for as much as one hundred times a minute.

Central Sleep Apnea

In Central Sleep Apnea, it is the brain, which is the culprit. There is no blockage of the your airways. The brain, while you are asleep, just does not tell your muscles to keep you breathing.

Mixed Sleep Apnea

Just like the name says, Mixed Sleep Apnea is a combination of the other two conditions. Your airways can be fully or partially blocked and your brain fails to remind you to keep breathing while you are asleep. Lately there has been some concern that the use of CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) may cause Central Sleep Apnea episodes. We will look into this possibility in a future article.

Do You Have Sleep Apnea?

By now you are probably wondering if you have undiagnosed Sleep Apnea. I have compiled a list of questions from various Sleep Apnea quizzes. They are offered here for information purposes only in order to give you some idea of what the symptoms of Sleep Apnea are like. If you feel that you may suffer from Sleep Apnea, see your family doctor or Sleep Specialist and discuss the situation.

1. Are you

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