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Monday, 07 May 2007 |
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Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that is characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep, and is most often associated with snoring. The stops in breathing, called apneas, each lasts long enough so one ore more breaths are missed, and occur repeatedly throughout sleep. Apnea literally means “without breath.” Sleep apnea is diagnosed with an overnight sleep test, which is called a polysomnogram.
There are two distinct forms of sleep apnea, central and obstructive. Breathing is interrupted by the lack of effort in central sleep apnea, while breathing is interrupted by a physical block to airflow despite effort in obstructive sleep apnea. In mixed sleep apnea, there is a transition between central and obstructive types of apnea during the night.A person with sleep apnea is rarely aware of having difficulty breathing, even when they wake up. Sleep apnea is recognized as a problem by others who witness the individual when they are having an apnea episode. Symptoms of sleep apnea may be present for years without proper diagnosis, which can include snoring, sleepiness, and daytime fatigue. In adults, the most typical individual with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome is obese, with particular heaviness at the face and neck. The hallmark symptom of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in adults is excessive daytime sleepiness, which individuals often do not recognize as a symptom of sleep apnea. Typically, an adult or adolescent with severe long-standing obstructive sleep apnea will fall asleep for very brief periods in the course of usual daytime activities if given any opportunity to sit or rest. This behavior may be quite dramatic, sometimes occurring during conversations with others at social gatherings, and is not to be confused with narcolepsy. Treating sleep apnea can have great impact on the symptoms of the disease, giving the sufferers relief from sleepiness and giving their partners relief from snoring and disruptive nighttime behaviors. |
