Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common type of sleep apnea. People who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea stop breathing during their sleep because of a complete or partial blockage of the airway. Many people with obstructive sleep apnea stop breathing multiple times during their sleep, sometimes for longer than a minute at a time.
The blockage most people have is the passage in their own mouths from the soft palate to the base of the tongue. Muscles keep this region open when a person with obstructive sleep apnea is awake. When sleeping, these muscles relax causing the soft palate and tongue to block breathing. The airway shuts; the sufferer stops breathing and then wakes up trying to breathe again. The sufferer falls back to sleep only to wake up on multiple occasions, from five to one-hundred times per night.
The brief waking up and going back to sleep only lasts a few seconds. It is long enough to keep the sleeper from achieving deep sleep and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Everyone needs 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 age, their muscle mass is reduced, which makes the airway soft and slender. When sleeping these already weak 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 put 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:
Personality changes
Desire to sleep during the day
Depression
Falling asleep at the wheel
Often waking up during sleep
Failure to achieve deep sleep
Headaches
High blood pressure
Impotence
Memory loss
Obesity
Snoring
Tiredness
Complications stemming from obstructive sleep apnea include:
