Moderate Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea affects approximately 20 million people in the United States alone and millions more are affected worldwide. Over the last 10 years, significant research has been done and there is now evidence overwhelming connection between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and cardiovascular disease. Specifically, people affected by sleep apnea have an increased risk of hypertension (also known as hypertension), coronary artery disease (atherosclerosis AKA), heart attacks, strokes, abnormal heart rate, heart failure, diabetes, and even death.

This scary list of negative health outcomes demonstrates the importance of diagnosing sleep apnea as soon as possible in order to initiate treatment T. This last comment is actually the point --- Fortunately, sleep apnea is a treatable disease. And you might be surprised that there are different options for treatment. With the right advice from qualified experts, the success of treatment is feasible.

First, we must dispel the myths that prevent many people with sleep apnea to seek appropriate medical attention. The biggest myth is that only people who are overweight or obese OSA. This is simply not true. In fact, many people who are considered at their ideal body weight based on BMI (Body-Mass Index) is actually a diagnosis of OSA or Upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS) . UARS is a form of sleep breathing disorder in which a person has frequent awakenings from sleep due to the collapse or airway obstruction. Often, events are not as obvious as seen in the OSA, and in many cases, a person affected by UARS may not even snore. However, people may complain of UARS non-restorative sleep, frequent nocturnal awakenings or excessive daytime sleepiness or fatigue. UARS, like OSA, is a treatable condition.

So how can I get sleep apnea?

Well, most people who have sleep apnea are predisposed very early in life. This is actually the size and shape of the jaw and upper airway, which determines whether a person will develop OSA. A narrow jaw and upper respiratory tract (eg, oral cavity and throat) means less space for air movement during breathing. When a person sleeps, the soft tissues and muscles of the upper airway relax and collapse, leading to better air circulation and airway obstruction. The airway obstruction is causing OSA.

OSA is merely a repetition, cyclical pattern in which a person stops breathing or stopped breathing around for periods longer than 10 seconds each time. What follows is a description of what happens during an episode. As a person sleeps, the upper airway and jaw relax, causing the collapse of the upper respiratory tract (eg, the back of the throat). The lower jaw relaxes and often comes down to a few millimeters when we sleep. From the base of the tongue is attached to the lower jaw, tongue as a few millimeters to fall during sleep. This combination of events led to a very narrow passage for air to circulate in the back of the throat during sleep. Sometimes, the upper airway is collapsed so that little or no air can pass. These episodes are called apneas (complete obstruction with no air movement) or hypopneas (partial obstruction with minimal air circulation). When an apnea or hypopnea occurs, it lasts for a period of 10 seconds or more. In some cases, episodes can last more than a minute! Meanwhile, the oxygen saturation of blood begins to drop, because no fresh air or oxygen is delivered to the lungs. As the drops of blood oxygen saturation, the body enters a reaction to fight or flight, resulting in increased heart rate and blood pressure elevation. In essence, the heart beats faster to try to put in.