• The Greek word "apnea" literally means "without breath." Sleep apnea is an involuntary cessation of breathing that occurs while the patient is asleep.

• There are three types of aleep apnea : obstructive, central, and mixed. Of the three, obstructive sleep apnea, often called OSA for short, is the most common. Despite the difference in the root cause of each type, in all three, people with untreated sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep, sometimes hundreds of times during the night and often for a minute or longer. In most cases the sleeper is unaware of these breath stoppages because they don't trigger a full awakening.

1.) Obstructive sleep apnea :

Is caused by a blockage of the airway, usually when the soft tissue in the rear of the throat collapses and closes during sleep.

2.)  Central sleep apnea :

 The airway is not blocked but the brain fails to signal the muscles to breathe.

3.) Mixed sleep apnea :

As the name implies, is a combination of the two. With each apnea event, the brain rouses the sleeper, usually only partially, to signal breathing to resume. As a result, the patient's sleep is extremely fragmented and of poor quality.

Risk factors :

of it include being male, overweight, and over the age of 40, but sleep apnea can strike anyone at any age, even children. Yet still because of the lack of awareness by the public and health care professionals, the vast majority of sleep apnea patients remain undiagnosed and therefore untreated, despite the fact that this serious disorder can have significant consequences.

• Left untreated, sleep apnea can have serious and life-shortening consequences: high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, automobile accidents caused by falling asleep at the wheel, diabetes, depression, and other ailments. Moreover, untreated sleep apnea may be responsible for job impairment and motor vehicle crashes. Fortunately, sleep apnea can be diagnosed and treated. Several  treatment options  exist, and research into additional options continues.

　-Sleep Apnea Equipment-

 

* The information is only for reference purposes only , the disease varies from person to person, it is inappropiate to use drugs without doctor's instructions, if you need any assistances or inquiries, please call 31763336