A Look At Sleep Apnea And Its Causes, Signs and Diagnosis
Sleep apnea is one of a number of very common sleep disorders and the most widespread form of sleep apnea is known as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and is a condition characterized by periods in which breathing stops while sleeping. On occasions this condition is referred to as obstructive sleep apnea syndrome or sleep apnea syndrome.
In healthy people the muscles which work the upper section of the throat ensure that the flow of air into and out of the lungs is both continuous and steady. While you are sleeping these muscles relax somewhat but nevertheless still do their job properly. However those individuals who have sleep apnea generally have airways which are narrowed for one reason or another so that when the muscles relax this causes the airway to partially or completely close up thereby no longer allowing for the passage of air to the lungs. Snoring and labored breathing leading to a sleep apnea episode will then be seen.
In some individuals breathing can also cease altogether during periods of deep sleep and medical experts and researchers are unsure about just why this happens. These periods during which breathing ceases can last for as long as ten seconds or more in severe cases and are referred to as sleep apnea episodes or apneic events.
These sleep apnea episodes result in a degree of awareness that you have ceases breathing and you then struggle to breath again which is frequently accompanied by gasping, choking or even snorting.
Thereafter you normally fall into a period of light sleep before the cycle of apneic events starts again.
The consequence is that a person suffers from sleep that is fragmented and does not allow them to get amount of rest that they require on a nightly basis. This in turn leads to a variety of health problems including excessive daytime tiredness. One of the reasons for this daytime symptom is the fact that the level of oxygen in the blood falls tremendously during an apnea episode resulting in a condition known as hypoxia.
It is important to be aware that a lot of people with sleep apnea are not aware that they have a problem and normally it is left to others to bring the problem to their attention. Sufferers are usually aware of how excessively tired they are during the day but do not always know why this is so.
The commonest warning signs of sleep apnea include loud and habitual snoring, waking in the morning and still feeling tired, morning headaches, problems with memory, changes in personality, falling asleep at inappropriate times, high blood pressure, excessive levels of activity (in children only) and swelling of the legs in severe cases. The signs should not be ignored as the danger of sleep apnea is very real.
The initial step in identifying sleep apnea ought to a trip to the doctor who will take a full medical history and examine your mouth, throat and neck for signs of any growths or abnormalities. If your doctor suspects that you have sleep apnea he will send you to a specialist sleep center for a sleep study and what is called a polysomnogram. This test records eye movement, brain waves, breathing rate, muscle activity, heart rate, blood oxygen levels and the quantity of air that is being exhaled and inhaled while you sleep.
Sleep apnea is an all too common disorder which often goes unrecognized but which can be extremely dangerous and which can normally be treated effectively.
Tags: obstructive sleep apnea, Sleep, Sleep Apnea, Sleep Apnia, sleep apnoea, sleep disorders