Sleep Apnea Syndrome refers to transient cessation of respiration during sleep. The most common kind of sleep apnea is called Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSA) which is defined as the cessation of airflow during sleep preventing air from entering the lungs caused by an obstruction. It is characterized by repetitive episodes of upper airway obstruction that occur during sleep, usually associated with a reduction in blood oxygen saturation. Another site of obstruction can be the nasal passages.

These periods of 'stopped breathing' only become clinically significant if the cessation lasts for more than 10 seconds each time and occur more than 10 times every hour. OSA only happens during sleep, as it is a lack of muscle tone in your upper airway that causes the airway to collapse. The airway becomes obstructed at several possible sites which can be due to obstruction caused by excess tissue in the airway, large tonsils, and a large tongue and usually includes the airway muscles relaxing and collapsing when asleep.

Various Symptoms

Some of the symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome include, but are not limited to excessive daytime sleepiness, frequent episodes of obstructed breathing during sleep, loud snoring, morning headaches, reflecting sleep, a dry mouth upon awakening, high blood pressure, being overweight, irritability, change in personality, depression, difficulty in concentrating, excessive perspiration during sleep, heartburn, reduced libido, insomnia, frequent nocturnal urination (nocturia), restless sleep, nocturnal snorting, gasping, choking (may wake self up), and rapid weight gain etc.

Sleep disorder can range from very mild to very severe. The severity is often established using the apnoea/hypopnoea index (AHI), which is the number of apnoeas plus the number of hypopnoeas per hour of sleep - (hypopnoea being reduction in airflow).

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome is a potentially life-threatening condition that requires immediate medical attention. The risks of undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea include heart attacks, strokes, impotence, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure and heart disease. In addition, obstructive sleep apnea causes daytime sleepiness that can result in accidents, lost productivity and interpersonal relationship problems. The severity of the symptoms may be mild, moderate or severe.

Treatment:

Mild Sleep Apnea is usually treated by some behavioral changes. Losing weight, sleeping on your side are often recommended. There are oral mouth devices (that help keep the airway open) in the market that may help to reduce snoring in three different ways. Some devices may (1) bring the jaw forward or (2) elevate the soft palate or (3) retain the tongue (from falling back in the airway and blocking breathing). Sleep Apnea is a progessive condition (gets worse as you age) and should not be taken lightly.