Sleep Apnea Symptoms and Causes
Over 18 million Americans suffer from a very serious sleep condition called sleep apnea. This condition is characterized by periods of interrupted breathing while asleep. These breathing interruptions could be as short as 10 seconds or as long as one minute.
This causes the sufferer to have to wake up every time breathing is stopped. This pattern of falling asleep and waking up to begin breathing again could take place as much as hundreds of times during any given sleep cycle.
This condition will not only prevent you from sleeping, it also deprives your body of oxygen. This can result in high blood pressure and other cardiovascular conditions. If left untreated, it could eventually lead to death.
Constantly feeling groggy or tired during the day could be an indicator of the presence of this condition. Falling asleep during the day is another symptom. These symptoms are due to never being able to fall into a deep sleep.
Other common sleep apnea symptoms include excessive sweating while sleeping, gasping or choking, frequently waking to catch your breath, and unusually loud snoring.
Other symptoms that may show up when you are awake include difficulty focusing or concentrating, as well as remembering. Sore throats, headaches, and dry mouth may also be experienced in the morning after waking. It could also result in poor judgment and shorter attention spans. Other symptoms include mood swings, depression, impotence, and weight gain.
If this condition is left untreated, it will put you at risk of becoming involved in potentially dangerous accidents. This would include automobile accidents and accidents related to work.
The word apnea is taken from a Greek word that actually means 'without breath'. One cause of apnea involves the muscles inside the windpipe. When these muscles soften, they relax, causing the airway to become blocked. This is what causes you to wake up trying to catch your breath.
The blockage is usually caused by the tongue or the uvula, as the throat muscles are not strong enough to support them. With the airway blocked, it will not allow the proper amount of air to enter the throat and lungs. This is known as OSA (Obstructed Sleep Apnea), and it is the most common form of this condition.
A form of apnea that is not as common is called Central Sleep Apnea. In this case, instead of a blockage, the brain is unable to instruct the the muscles responsible for breathing to do their job. If the problem is a problem with the brain along with some form of obstruction, the condition is known as Mixed Sleep Apnea.
There are several factors that could be responsible for the onset of sleep apnea. The largest risk group includes males who are age 40 or older. Smoking and being overweight will also contribute to the condition, as well as alcohol and sedative use. Other factors that can cause sleep apnea include irregular sleep schedule, family history, nasal congestion, snoring, and problems with various parts of the body. These include the tonsils, adenoids, tongue, chin, septum, and vocal chords.
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