Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea
One of the most common, yet most risky sleep disorders, sleep apnea consists in the breathing stops that occur along a certain time interval. During such episodes, too little air gets to the lungs through one's mouth and nose, which is why the oxygen level in the blood may drop alarmingly. The resuming of the normal breathing pattern is announced by a loud snort or a sound similar to choking.
The immediate consequence of sleep apnea is the lack of energy and the drowsiness felt the day after a troubled night, we could actually say that sleep apnea and proper rest exclude each other as a matter of fact. Only close monitoring and detailed medical investigation could help your doctor decide whether you suffer from sleep apnea or not, particularly since it is common to make the mistake of taking snoring for sleep apnea.
Though sometimes people who snore also show signs of sleep apnea, this is not a general rule: there are plenty of people with sleep apnea that do not snore. Moreover, the most likely to suffer from this condition are overweight people, however, we can't make this observation a general rule either, since there are cases of thin people touched by it too.
The first to notice the signs of sleep apnea are family members or bed partners, as the person who actually suffers from it, may very seldom be aware of the problem. Once identified, the affection requires proper medical observation and treatment since it increases the risk of developing a heart problem and suffering a stroke or a heart attack. Studies have also revealed the relationship between sleep apnea and diabetes, as well as the connection between this sleep disorder and driving accidents.
Sleep apnea occurs when the throat muscles prevent the proper passage of the airflow towards the lungs; which would explain why the full name of the affection is obstructive sleep apnea. The condition generally appears when the muscles and the tongue relax more than they should. Moreover, tonsillitis may also be identified at the root of the problem as well as a deficient bone structure of the neck and the head that creates a smaller airway in the area could also be blamed.
Snoring is usually related to obstructive sleep apnea, but we should mention one other form of the disease that is triggered by the improper brain control over the breathing function. This is called central apnea and it is considered a lot more severe than the obstructive form; snoring never occurs for this type of affection variation.