Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common type of sleep apnea. People who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea stop breathing while they are asleep because of a complete or partial obstruction of the airway. A number of 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 region open when a person with obstructive sleep apnea is alert. When sleeping, these muscles relax causing the soft palate and tongue to block breathing. The airway shuts; the person stops breathing and then wakes up trying to breathe again. The person goes back to sleep only to wake up on multiple occasions, from five to one-hundred times per night.
The brief waking up and going back to sleep only lasts a few seconds. It is long enough to keep the sufferer from achieving deep sleep and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. All people need deep and REM sleep to awake refreshed and revitalized every day.
The three main risk factors for developing obstructive sleep apnea are:
1. Age - As people age, they lose muscle mass, which makes the airway soft and thin. When sleeping these already weak muscles relax, forming 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 makes the airway close 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
Some of the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea include:
Personality changes
Desire to sleep during the day
Depression
Falling asleep while driving
Often waking up during sleep
Inability to achieve deep sleep
Headaches
High blood pressure
Impotence
Memory loss
Obesity
Snoring
Tiredness
Complications stemming from obstructive sleep apnea include:
