A Look At Sleep Apnea Disorder, Its Causes, Signs and Diagnosis
The most widespread form of sleep apnea is referred to as obstructive sleep apnea and is a disorder marked by periods in which breathing ceases while you are sleeping. Sometimes this medical condition is referred to as sleep apnea syndrome or obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.
In healthy people the muscles that work the upper portion of the throat ensure that the air flow into and out of the lungs is both steady and continuous. While you sleep these muscles relax slightly but nevertheless still do their job satisfactorily. However those people who suffer from sleep apnea generally have airways that are narrowed for one reason or another and therefore when the muscles relax the airway partially or completely closes thereby preventing the passage of air to the lungs. Labored breathing and snoring leading to a sleep apnea episode will then result.
In some people breathing can also stop altogether during periods of deep (or REM) sleep and medical experts and researchers are unclear about why this happens. These times during which breathing ceases can last for ten seconds or more in severe cases and are referred to as sleep apnea episodes or apneic events.
These sleep apnea episodes lead to an awareness that you have ceases breathing and you subsequently struggle to start breathing again which is normally accompanied by choking, gasping or even snorting.
Thereafter it is usual to settle into a period of light sleep before the cycle of sleep apnea episodes begins all over again.
The result is that an individual suffers from fragmented sleep which does not allow them to enjoy amount of rest which they need on a nightly basis. This in turn leads to a host of health problems one of which is excessive daytime tiredness. One reason for this daytime symptom is the fact that the level of oxygen in the blood stream falls significantly during an apneic event resulting in a condition called hypoxia.
It is most important to be aware that a lot of people who suffer from sleep apnea are unaware of their problem and normally it is left to others to point out the problem. Sleep apnea sufferers are generally aware of being very tired during the day but do not always know why this is so.
The commonest warning signs of sleep apnea are loud snoring, waking in the morning and still feeling tired, headaches in the morning, difficulties with memory, alterations in personality, falling asleep at inappropriate times, hypertension, hyperactivity (in children only) and swelling of the legs.
The first step in identifying sleep apnea should be an appointment with your doctor who will read through your medical history and examine your mouth, throat and neck for any signs of growths or abnormalities. If sleep apnea is suspected your physician will refer you for a sleep study and what is known as a polysomnogram. This test records brain waves, eye movement, muscle activity, breathing rate, heart rate, blood oxygen levels and the amount of air which is being both exhaled and inhaled during sleep.
