Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (pronunciation: ob-struhk-tiv sleep ap-nee-uh) is a common and serious sleep disorder that causes you to stop breathing during sleep. The airway repeatedly becomes blocked, limiting the amount of air that reaches your lungs. When this happens, you may snore loudly or making choking noises as you try to breathe.
Etymology
The term "Obstructive Sleep Apnea" is derived from the Greek word "apnea" which means "want of breath". "Obstructive" refers to the physical blockage in the upper airway that occurs during episodes of apnea.
Symptoms
The most common symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnea include:
- Loud and chronic snoring
- Choking, snorting, or gasping during sleep
- Long pauses in breathing
- Daytime sleepiness, no matter how much time you spend in bed
Causes
Obstructive Sleep Apnea is caused by the muscles in the back of your throat relaxing. These muscles support the soft palate, the triangular piece of tissue hanging from the soft palate (uvula), the tonsils, the side walls of the throat and the tongue.
Treatment
Treatment for Obstructive Sleep Apnea is necessary to prevent complications such as heart diseases, stroke, high blood pressure, and other health problems. The most common treatment is the use of a device that uses positive pressure to keep the airway open, such as a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine.
Related Terms
- Sleep disorder
- Airway
- Lung
- Snoring
- Choking
- Daytime sleepiness
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- High blood pressure
- Continuous positive airway pressure
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Obstructive Sleep Apnea
- Wikipedia's article - Obstructive Sleep Apnea
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