What you know about Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is common but can be deadly.

It is a serious sleep disorder that occurs when the process of breathing is interrupted while a person is sleeping. People with sleep apnea repeatedly stop breathing during their sleep, may be around hundreds of times.

The episodes of sleep apnea occur when there is a lack of oxygen supply to the brain and the rest of the body. Find the nearest diagnostic centers in Bangalore with Cureplus. 

Sleep apnea is generally of two types:

·         Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA): This type of sleep apnea is more common among people. It usually caused by a hindrance in breathing due to blockage in the air passage, when the soft tissue in the back of the throat collapses while sleeping.

·         Central sleep apnea: In this type, there is no blockage in the air way, but here the brain fails to send a signal to the muscles to breathe, because of instability in the respiratory control center.

Who are at risk of getting sleep apnea?

Anyone at any age can get affected by sleep apnea, even children.

Risk factors for sleep apnea include:

·         Males are at higher risk of sleep apnea

·         Overweight people are susceptible to get sleep apnea

·         People above 40 years are more prone

·         A person with large size neck

·         Have a large tongue, large tonsils, or a small jaw bone

·         Gastroesophageal reflux, or GERD

·         Hailing from a family with history of sleep apnea

·         Obstruction in the nasal due to allergies, a deviated septum, or sinus issues

How Sleep Apnea effect us?

Untreated as well as prolonged sleep apnea can lead to numerous health related issues, listed below:

·         Stroke

·         Diabetes

·         Depression

·         Headaches

·         High blood pressure

·         Heart failure, heart attack, and irregular heart beats

·         Worsening ADHD

In addition to the above problems, sleep apnea also results in poor performance in daily activities, like at work and school, children’s poor performance in academics, and motor vehicles crashes.