What Is Sleep Apnea?

Posted: Jan. 1, 2005

Sleep apnea is a common disorder that can be very serious. Most adults who experience sleep apnea are overweight.

In sleep apnea, your breathing stops or gets very shallow while you are sleeping. Each pause typically lasts 10 to 20 seconds or more. These pauses can occur 20 to 30 times or more an hour.

The most common type of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea. During sleep, enough air cannot flow into your lungs through your mouth and nose even though you try to breathe. When this happens, the amount of oxygen in your blood may drop. Normal breaths then start again with a loud snort or choking sound.

The most common signs of sleep apnea are:

• Loud snoring
• Choking or gasping during sleep
• Fighting sleepiness during the day (even at work or while driving)

Your family members may notice the symptoms before you do. You will likely not otherwise be aware that you have problems breathing while asleep.

Others signs of sleep apnea may include:

• Morning headaches
• Memory or learning problems
• Feeling irritable
• Not being able to concentrate on your work
• Mood swings or personality changes, perhaps feeling depressed
• Dry throat upon awaking
• Frequent urination at night

Anyone can have obstructive sleep apnea.
It is estimated that more than 12 million Americans have obstructive sleep apnea.

Adults most likely to have sleep apnea:

• Are overweight
• Have high blood pressure
• Have decreased size of the airways in their nose, throat, or mouth. This can be caused by the shape of these structures or by medical conditions causing congestion in these areas, such as hay fever or other allergies.
• Have a family history of sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is more common in men. One out of 25 middle-aged men and 1 out of 50 middle-aged women have sleep apnea that causes them to be very sleepy during the day.

Sleep apnea is more common in African Americans, Hispanics, and Pacific Islanders. If someone in your family has sleep apnea, you are more likely to develop sleep apnea than someone without a family history of the condition.

Obstructive sleep apnea can also occur in children who snore.
If your child snores, you should discuss it with your child's doctor or health care provider.

Untreated sleep apnea can increase the chance of having high blood pressure and even a heart attack or stroke. Untreated sleep apnea can also increase the risk of diabetes and the risk for work-related accidents and driving accidents.

Source: National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute

We Have Answers Do you have medical questions or need help finding a doctor? The experts at Columbia St. Mary's and Advanced Healthcare can help. Click here.