An Examination Of Sleep Apnea Sleep Disorder And Its Diagnosis
The commonest form of sleep apnea is referred to as obstructive sleep apnea and is a condition marked by periods in which breathing stops while you are sleeping. From time to time this medical condition is referred to as obstructive sleep apnea syndrome or sleep apnea syndrome.
In healthy people the muscles that work the upper portion of the throat ensure that the air flow into and out of the lungs is both steady and continuous. While you sleep these muscles relax slightly but nevertheless still do their job satisfactorily. However those people who suffer from sleep apnea generally have airways that are narrowed for one reason or another and therefore when the muscles relax the airway partially or completely closes thereby preventing the passage of air to the lungs. Labored breathing and snoring leading to a sleep apnea episode will then result.
In some people breathing can also stop altogether during periods of deep (or REM) sleep and medical experts and researchers are unclear about why this happens. These times during which breathing ceases can last for ten seconds or more in severe cases and are referred to as sleep apnea episodes or apneic events.
These apneic events result in an awareness that you have stopped breathing and you then struggle to start breathing again which is generally accompanied by choking, gasping or even snorting.
Thereafter you normally settle into a period of light sleep before the cycle of sleep apnea episodes returns.
The consequence is that an individual suffers from fragmented sleep which does not allow them to get amount of rest which they require each night. This can lead to a variety of health problems one of which is excessive daytime tiredness. One of the reasons for this daytime symptom is simply that the level of oxygen in the blood stream falls markedly during an apneic event leading to a condition known as hypoxia.
It is most important to know that many people with sleep apnea are unaware that they have a problem and frequently it is left to others to bring the problem to their attention. Sleep apnea sufferers are generally aware of being very tired during the day but do not always know why this is so.
The most common signs of sleep apnea are loud snoring, awakening in the morning and not feeling rested, morning headaches, problems with memory and attention span, changes in personality, falling asleep at inopportune times, high blood pressure, high activity levels (in children) and swelling of the legs.
The first step in identifying sleep apnea should be an appointment with your doctor who will read through your medical history and examine your mouth, throat and neck for any signs of growths or abnormalities. If sleep apnea is suspected your physician will refer you for a sleep study and what is known as a polysomnogram. This test records brain waves, eye movement, muscle activity, breathing rate, heart rate, blood oxygen levels and the amount of air which is being both exhaled and inhaled during sleep.
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