Obstructive Sleep Apnea

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Sleep is an essential part of life; it is one of several components which keep us alive. However, a significant percentage of the human population has difficulty reaching and maintaining Stage IV within their sleeping patterns, the stage that allows the mind and body to fall into a deep and restorative sleep, known as REM sleep. This is a condition known as obstructive sleep apnea, a "serious, potentially life-threatening condition that is far more common than generally understood" (Sleep Apnea). Obstructive sleep apnea can be very dangerous if it is not properly detected and treated.
What is Sleep Apnea? Apnea means without breathe. In many causes apnea is caused by tissue in the back of one’s throat that collapses. Sleep apnea …show more content…
In obstructive apnea, it causes a person to stop breathing while sleeping. During sleep the airway becomes continuously blocked limiting the amount of air one person has in the lungs. This causes a person brain and body to become oxygen derived. This is what causes a person to wake up in the middle of the night, often several times. It also causes loud snoring. Central sleep apnea is when your breathing starts and stops periodically throughout the night. This happens because the brain does not send the proper signals to the muscle that help control breathing. This form of sleep apnea is less common. Central sleep apnea can occur with several different risk factors. These risk factors can affect the brainstem. The brainstem which connects the spinal cord to the brain controls things such as breathing and heart rate. Some things that can cause this type of apnea include, heart failure, stroke. Cheyne stroke breathing is a type of apnea commonly linked to heart failure and stroke. It is when there is a gradual increase and decrease in a person’s breathing effort and airflow. Drug induced apnea is another form of Central Sleep apnea. This is when a …show more content…
This type causes the breathing to become irregular or a temporary stop in breathing all together. Common signs of Central Sleep Apnea include: Observed episodes of stopped breathing or abnormal breathing patterns during sleep, abrupt awakenings accompanied by shortness of breath, shortness of breath that can be relieved by sitting up, difficulty staying asleep (also can be called insomnia), excessive daytime sleepiness (which is also called hypersomnia), chest pain, difficulty concentrating, mood changes, morning headaches and snoring. (Mayo Clinic) Risk factors vary among men and women. Some risk factors in developing Central Sleep apnea are: sex; males are more likely to develop these type verus females, age; this form is more common among older adults, especially sixty five (65) and older, heart disorders, such as a-fib (atrial fibrillation) and congestive heart failure, stroke or brain tumor, high
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