What is Sleep Apnea?

Apnea is a greek word that means "without breath". Sleep apnea as we know it today is a disorder that effects breathing when a person is asleep. Regardless of the cause, and there are many, sleep apnea means that the person stops breathing numerous times at night. As may be assumed, this can be very dangerous, or very mild. The difficulties vary on the time that the person stops breathing, and what it takes for the body to begin breathing again.

There are 3 common forms of sleep apnea: obstructive, central, and mixed or complex. Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common among adults and occurs when the soft tissue in the back of the throat collapses and blocks the airway. Central sleep apnea is when the brain does not signal to the body to continue breathing. Mixed or complex sleep apnea is just as it sounds and is a mix between obstructive and central.

In all three cases, the brain awakens the body so that it will continue breathing and therefore the person gets very interrupted sleep. This causes sleep deprivation. People with mild sleep deprivation are going to have headaches, memory loss, weight gain, and lethargy. More severe cases of sleep deprivation resulting from untreated sleep apnea are going to include cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, arrhythmia, and sleep deprivation driving accidents. The body simply cannot function effectively when it doesn't get proper rest and relaxation.

Who Does Sleep Apnea Affect?

More than 12 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea and more than half of those people are overweight. However, sleep apnea is more likely to occur in Hispanics, African Americans and Pacific Islanders. Sleep apnea is more common in persons that are overweight or obese. It's also more common in men that it is in women and is found in older adults more than children but across the board, sleep apnea can affect anybody. If somebody in your home suffers from sleep apnea, you're more likely to suffer from it as well. People who smoke, have high blood pressure, or who are prone to stroke or heart failure are also more likely to suffer from sleep apnea.

What Can Be Done About Sleep Apnea?

Multiple treatments are available for sufferers of sleep apnea. Depending on the severity of the case, a CPAP may be all that is needed for sleep apnea to be resolved. A CPAP is a machine that can be hooked up at night and will help the person to inhale more continuously. Or depending on the reason for the sleep apnea, a custom made mouthpiece may be enough to resolve sleep apnea.
Using a particular pillow or aid that will help the person sleep in a specific position at night may also fix sleep apnea. In more severe cases and for those that don't respond to nonsurgical interferences, surgery may be required to help people find relief from sleep apnea.