Sleep Apnea essays

Sleep Apnea essays Sleep Apnea is a serious potentially condition that is far more common than generally understood. Sleep Apnea is a sleeping disorder by brief Interruptions of breathing during sleep. There are two types of sleep apnea; central and obstructive. Central sleep apnea, which is less common, occurs when the brain fails to send the appropriate signals to the breathing muscles to initiate respirations. Obstructive sleep apnea is far more common and occurs when air can't flow into or out of the person's nose or mouth although efforts to breathe continue. In a given night, the number of involuntary breathing pauses orapnetic events? may be as high as 20 to 30 or more per hour. These breathing pauses are almost always accompanied by snoring between apnea, although not everyone who snores has this condition. Sleep apnea can also be characterized by choking sensations. The frequent interruptions of deep, restorative sleep often lead to early morning headaches and excessive daytime sleepiness. Early recognition and treatment of sleep apnea is important because it may be associated with irregular heartbeat, heart attacks, and a stroke. Sleep apnea occurs in all age groups and both sexes, but is more common in men. I may underdiagnosed in women and possibly young Americans. It has been estimated that as many as 18 million Americans have this disease, along with excessive daytime sleepiness. People most likely to have or develop sleep apnea include those who snore loudly and those who are overweight, or have high blood pressure, or have some, physical abnormality in the nose, throat, or other parts of the upper airway. Sleep apnea seems to run in some families, suggesting a possible genetic basis. Certain mechanical and structural problems in the airway cause the interruptions in breathing during sleep. In some people, apnea occurs when the throat muscles and tongue relax during sleep and partially block the openi ...