Obstructive sleep apnea is the most prevalent type of sleep apnea. People who have obstructive sleep apnea cease breathing during their sleep because of a complete or partial blockage of the airway. Many people with obstructive sleep apnea stop breathing many times during their sleep, sometimes for longer than a minute at a time.
The blockage in most sufferers is the passage in their own mouths from the soft palate to the base of the tongue. Muscles keep this area open when a person with obstructive sleep apnea is alert. When sleeping, these muscles relax causing the soft palate and tongue to obstruct breathing. The airway closes; the person stops breathing and then wakes up in an attempt to breathe again. The person falls back to sleep only to wake up repeatedly, from five to one-hundred times per night.
The brief waking and returning to sleep only lasts a few seconds. It is enough time to keep the sleeper from achieving deep sleep and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. All people need deep and REM sleep to awake refreshed and revitalized each morning.
Three of the main risk factors for developing obstructive sleep apnea are:
1. Age - As people grow older, they lose muscle mass, which makes the airway soft and thin. When sleeping these weaker muscles relax, forming the obstruction.
2. Being Male - Men are at greater risk of developing obstructive sleep apnea.
3. Weight Gain - Weight gain is a contributing factor in obstructive sleep apnea. Extra fat causes the airway to close in when the muscles around it relax.
Other factors that place a person at risk of developing obstructive sleep apnea include:
Drug and alcohol abuse
Down Syndrome
Family history
Large adenoids and/or tonsils
Muscle disorders
Nasal congestion
Receding chin
Smoking
Thyroid disease
The symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea include:
Change in personality
Desire to sleep during the day
Depression
Falling asleep at the wheel
Often waking up during sleep
Inability to achieve deep sleep
Headaches
High blood pressure
Impotence
Memory loss
Obesity
Snoring
Tiredness
Complications resulting from obstructive sleep apnea include:
