If you answered "yes" to the above questions, chances are you're suffering from sleep apnea - a potentially serious sleep disorder that's as common as diabetes and affects over 12 million people in the United States alone.

The Greek word "apnea" means "without breath." This common sleep disorder is characterized by brief but repeated interruptions of breathing during sleep, sometimes hundreds of times during the night and often for a minute or longer. There are three kinds of sleep apnea: obstructive, central and mixed. Of the three, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common.

"OSA is caused by blocked airway when the soft tissue in the rear of the throat collapses and closes during sleep. The airway is not blocked in central sleep apnea but the brain fails to signal the muscles to breathe. Mixed sleep apnea is a combination of the two," according to TMJ (temporomandibular joint) specialist Dr. Herminia P. Chavez of the Queen Mary Holistic Center in Manila.

Chavez said the usual victims of sleep apnea are overweight males over the age of 40 who smoke and drink a lot and have a family history of the disease. However, she adds that anyone can be affected regardless of age, weight and sex.

In children, OSA is often caused by large adenoids and tonsils. The American Sleep Apnea Association said the condition can be found in one to three percent of children between the ages of 2 and 18 but it is often present in children aged 2 to 6 years old.

"Untreated, OSA may raise your risk of developing high blood pressure, heart failure, stroke and other cardiovascular complications. Interest in sex is diminished due to oxygen deprivation, fatigue and depression. Lack of sleep may affect your job and contribute to vehicular accidents. In children, it may increase their risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In addition to habitual loud snoring, labored breathing and disruptive sleep, OSA in children causes' bed-wetting, sweating and sleeping in unusual positions. Disturbed or insufficient sleep can also affect a child's physical and psychological well-being," Chavez warned.

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the most common treatment for OSA. This machine pushes air through the nose at a high pressure to keep the airway open during sleep. However, patient compliance is a problem since many people are uncomfortable with the idea of a wearing a mask while sleeping.

Surgery is expensive and works only in severe cases where OSA is caused by enlarged tonsils, nasal polyps, a deviated septum (a crooked partition between your nostrils) or jaw malformations.

Chavez said a non-invasive and less expensive way to treat OSA is with the use of an oral appliance. This dental device is worn during sleep and is effective when airway obstruction is caused by enlarged tonsils, a big tongue or an abnormal soft palate (the muscles in the roof of your mouth).

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