Obstructive sleep apnea is the most prevalent type of sleep apnea. Sufferers of obstructive sleep apnea cease breathing during their sleep because of a complete or partial obstruction of the airway. Many people with obstructive sleep apnea stop breathing multiple times during their sleep, often for longer than a minute at a time.
The obstruction 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 awake. Whilst the sufferer is asleep, these muscles relax causing the soft palate and tongue to obstruct breathing. The airway closes; the sleeper stops breathing and then wakes up in an attempt to breathe again. The sleeper goes back to sleep only to wake up many times, from five to one-hundred times per night.
The brief waking and returning to sleep only lasts a few seconds. It is long enough to prevent the person 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 age, they lose muscle mass, which makes the airway soft and slender. When sleeping these weaker muscles relax, resulting in the obstruction.
2. Being Male - Men are at greater risk of getting 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 getting 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
Failure to achieve deep sleep
Headaches
High blood pressure
Impotence
Memory loss
Obesity
Snoring
Tiredness
Complications coming from obstructive sleep apnea include:
