Sleeping ensures that the body gets the rest it needs for optimum growth in addition to giving the brain time to relax. With all these benefits that are associated with sleep, one needs enough hours of good sleep that are free from interruptions. There are a number of conditions that can disrupt the sleeping patterns of a person and sleep apnea is one of them.
Sleep apnea is basically a condition that affects most people causing them to stop breathing for around 10-20 seconds as they sleep. The pattern can continue several times all through the night without people knowing that they have it. Normally, the partners of the individual suffering from this condition are the first ones to notice the difficulties in breathing as well as the gasp or chocking feeling that comes with it. Sleep apnea can cause life-threatening complications if it is not treated on time. This condition is more widespread in adults than in children with its prevalence being seen in males more than in females.
There are different symptoms of sleep apnea that are dependent on the type of sleep apnea condition that one is suffering from. Normally, there are three kinds of sleep apnea namely the (OSA) or obstructive sleep apnea and the (CSA) or central sleep apnea. The third type is rare and exhibits signs of both CSA and OSA, which is called mixed sleep apnea. The main cause of OSA is the collapse or relaxation of soft tissues located at the rear end of the gullet that blocks the air passage to the lungs. The cause of CSA is brain related since the brain sends signals that are irregular to muscles responsible for controlling breathing. The signs of sleep apnea are below:
There are many complications that can be caused by this condition and it is always advisable to make a diagnosis of this condition as early as possible. It is difficult to make a diagnosis early when the person stays alone as this condition is in most cases identified by another person. One has to pay attention in order for them to diagnose these signs. Treatment is available for all the above symptoms as well as the condition.