What is Sleep Apnea
Do you snore obnoxiously loudly?
Do you often feel drowsy during the day?
Have you been worried about being too tired to drive?
Are you more forgetful than usual?
Have you experienced any of these conditions?
If yes, you should ask your healthcare professional, “What is sleep apnea?”
Sleep apnea is a sleeping disorder where a person repeatedly stops breathing while sleeping, sometimes for as long as a minute. It is defined in 1965 by healthcare professionals.
Sleep apnea is common, as common as diabetes. 6% of American population is suffering from sleeping disorder. It now affects nearly 18 million men, women and children in the United States. Out of these 18 million persons affected, only 10 million are considered to have symptoms and only 0.6 million have been diagnosed.
Why Sleep Apnea is dangerous?
The quality of sleep is severely diminished, not only from the frequent disruptions, but also from the lack of oxygen to the brain. Untreated sleep apnea can also cause hypertension, cardiovascular disease, memory problems, impotency, weight gain and headaches.
NHLBI (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) reported in April of 2000 that middle-aged and older adults with sleep apnea showed a 45 percent greater risk of hypertension–a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The sleep apnea study involved more than 6,000 adults aged 40 and over, whose sleep apnea was assessed via at home polysomnography (PSG). PSG records body activity during sleep, such as eye movement, heart rate, respiratory effort, airflow and blood oxygen levels.
Why are so many cases of sleep apnea undiagnosed?
Unfortunately, there’s a lack of awareness among the general population and among the healthcare industry. We’re a nation of sleep-deprived persons. We work long hours. We don’t get enough sleep. Drowsiness is an everyday occurrence. Why worry about just being tired? There’s more to it than not feeling rested when you wake up.
Types of sleep apnea
There are three types of sleep apnea: obstructive, central and mixed. Obstructive is the most common, and mainly affects people over forty, men twice as often as women. Don’t be fooled by the age, though, sleep apnea can affect everyone, even children.
