What is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep. It is usually first noticed by a sleep partner, when a person starts gasping for air in their sleep. The health ramifications of sleep apnea are far reaching. It is linked to systemic illnesses making one tired during the day. We can almost compare a patient suffering from sleep apnea to a drunk driver; the only difference being that traveling with a drunk driver is far safer! For example, a drunk driver going through an intersection will actually try to stop and avoid hitting somebody. On the other hand, one suffering from sleep apnea and the resulting daytime tiredness will never put their foot on the brake!

An individual with sleep apnea is hardly ever aware of having trouble breathing, even upon awakening. Although the patient may have experienced symptoms for years, it is likely that he or she is unaware of the seriousness of the disease. The patient may also become accustomed to the daytime sleepiness and tiredness and consider it normal.

Patients who suffer from sleep apnea are more prone to heart attacks, brain damage and high blood pressure. There are two main types of sleep apnea. The most common type is obstructive sleep apnea. This is when one’s airway is blocked during sleep, which causes one or many pauses in breathing. Attempting to breathe at this stage is likely to cause loud snoring. This type of sleep apnea is most common among those who are overweight. Doctors recommend such patients to control their diets and lose weight through monitored exercise.

Central sleep apnea is a less common type of sleep apnea. This happens when the area of one’s brain that controls breathing fails to send the correct signals to the breathing muscles. This type of sleep apnea often occurs in conjunction with obstructive sleep apnea, but it can also happen alone. Snoring, however, is not a symptom of central sleep apnea.

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