What Is Sleep Apnea And What Causes It?
Sleep apnea (sometimes also mistakenly written as sleep apnia, sleep apena, sleep aponea or sleep apnoea) is a common, though often undiagnosed, sleep disorder in which you stop breathing during the night, sometimes literally hundreds of times and for as much as a minute or more. The disorder derives its name from the Greek word "apnea" meaning "without breath".
When you stop breathing oxygen levels in the blood drop and carbon dioxide levels rise. This causes your heart to pump harder and sometimes to beat irregularly, or even to stop for several seconds. Your diaphragm and chest muscles work harder and your blood pressure rises. Finally, your brain senses that your body is in trouble and wakes you sufficiently for you to breathe and, as you do so, your breathing will often be accompanied by loud snoring.
It should be noted here that snoring itself is also very common and it is estimated that about forty percent of all adults snore. Snoring is also more commonly seen in men, rather than in women. While snoring is almost always seen in cases of sleep apnea, snoring by itself does not mean that you are suffering from sleep apnea.
What causes sleep apnea?
This condition most often occurs as the result of a blockage to the airway, usually when soft tissue at the rear of the throat collapses and closes the throat. It can, however, also result from a failure by the brain to signal the muscles of the body that control breathing.
What are the different types of sleep apnea?
Who suffers from sleep apnea and what are its symptoms?
What is the treatment for sleep apnea?
Additional reading:
The information contained here should NOT be used as a substitute for the advice of an appropriately qualified and licensed physician or other health care provider. The information provided here is for educational and informational purposes only and in no way should be considered as an offering of medical advice.
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