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The
word apnea means "without breath" and is used for many different
circumstances; for example, some people compete in a type of game where they
see who can hold their breath the longest.
This is called static apnea. For
most, however, they are concerned about obstructive sleep apnea, which is when
your airway is blocked when you sleep and which causes you to actually stop
breathing for a few seconds. This
happens when the muscles of the throat relax so much during sleep that they
collapse enough to block the air passages, or when a person is overweight and
obese. The extra fatty tissue around the
mouth and throat cause obstructive sleep apnea by cutting off the airway when a
person is in bed and gravity pulls these fatty areas down over the throat.
Obstructive
sleep apnea is nothing to dismiss. The
sleep deprivation and lack of oxygen that one experiences can cause
cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, depression, and
even actual brain damage.
Symptoms of Obstructive
Sleep Apnea
Since
you're asleep when this lack of breathing takes place, it's difficult to be
aware of the condition on its own. Also,
most people are awakened just long enough for the body to start breathing
again, but no long enough for them to be aware of the fact that they're
actually awake. Typically the symptoms
of obstructive sleep apnea are secondary, meaning that they occur during the
day as a result of the lack of restful sleep.
These symptoms include daytime sleepiness, headaches, insomnia, trouble
concentrating, mood changes such as irritability, anxiety and depression, loud
snoring which typically includes a choking or gasping sound, forgetfulness, and
increased blood pressure. Many of these
symptoms are due to the lack of quality sleep that one has during the night;
when the body consistently wakes up to start breathing again, there is an
interruption of sleep that is difficult to accommodate. And the chronic lack of oxygen that happens
with obstructive sleep apnea can lead to heart damage, damage to the blood
cells and other tissue, and even brain damage.
Who Gets Obstructive
Sleep Apnea?
As
mentioned, typically persons who are obese suffer from obstructive sleep apnea,
however, there are many with a normal Body Mass Index (BMI) that suffer from
this disease also. When the soft tissue
around the throat collapses due to a lack of muscle tone, excessive fatty
tissue in the soft palate (the area at the roof of the mouth behind the
tongue), or other reasons, then this apnea can result. Children too may have the disease simply due
to their physical makeup and build.
If you or your child have any of the
symptoms listed above, you should speak to your doctor about obstructive sleep
apnea so that he or she can recommend some treatment options, and you can
finally get a good night's sleep!
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