So you may have heard of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and may have been told by other people that you exhibit signs and symptoms of this condition; but what is it? The term apnea means “cessation of breath” (meaning to stop breathing); obstructive sleep apnea basically means obstructions that occur during sleep that cause a cessation in breathing. During sleep your entire body relaxes and winds down. This means that all of your muscles are going into a relaxed state. Our upper airways are surrounded by muscles, the biggest of which is our tongue. Throughout the day when we are awake these muscles are tightened, however once we fall asleep these muscles like the rest in our body go into a relaxed state. 

 

What takes place next for those that have obstructive sleep apnea is both irritating and frightening! Our breathing during sleep causes these relaxed muscles to vibrate which will then result in snoring. Eventually these muscles will collapse into the airway, thus causing a significant decrease in airflow that goes into our lungs. This is where the term “apnea” comes into play; at this point there is a cessation of breath.

 

Fortunately our brain has a reactionary side effect to this loss of breath which prompts us to awaken from the deep stages of sleep to tighten these muscles and allow breathing once again. The unfortunate side effects of this life saving bodily reaction are: extreme daytime sleepiness, cardiovascular problems, mental impairment, among others. This can take place anywhere from dozens to even hundreds of times a night depending on the severity of the case. And frighteningly so, this can even lead to death if your body does not react to the cessation of breathing, thus making sleep apnea a condition that must be addressed and treated properly.

 

However the far more common problems with sleep apnea deal with loud and excessive snoring. For those who are married or living with their partner this will not only cause bad sleep in the person with OSA but also keep the partner up with excessive snoring. It can strain people’s relationship and force people to sleep in separate beds! Most people do not realize just how many people are affected by obstructive sleep apnea, up to 18 million Americans!  Estimates have shown that up to 10% of men and 5% of women have some sort of sleep disordered breathing. Startlingly though less than 10% of these people have even been diagnosed.

 

The following are symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnea: snoring, constant waking up because of choking and gasping, daytime drowsiness, memory loss, restless sleep. The following are serious consequences of leaving Obstructive Sleep Apnea untreated: increased risk of stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, automobile accidents, poor memory among other cognitive impairments, and even death!

 

If before reading this you were not aware of the very real and negative side effects of obstructive sleep apnea and believe you may have this condition then you must seek medical attention right way. 

 

There are various forms of sleep apnea treatment available that can not only save your life but offer you a much more comfortable life, full of fulfilling and meaningful sleep.  We here at Sleep Apnea MD have one goal in mind and that is to help people who are suffering with sleep apnea to locate a qualified doctor or dentist in their area who can help them get the treatment they need.

 

If you would like to find a doctor to in your area to help you treat obstructive sleep apnea please click here.