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Information on Obstructive Sleep Apnea

By: Rudy Watkins

The most common form of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea. To date, researchers and healthcare professionals have not come to a single conclusion about the exact cause of obstructive sleep apnea. The soft palate is the most affected region of obstruction for most of the individuals having obstructive sleep apnea. It occurs as a result of muscle relaxation to a certain degree when the air passage gets fully collapsed and turns out to be obstructed.

The Period of Interrupted Sleep

When the airway collapses and breathing stops, the person will wake up because the airway is obstructed. Being awake generally only happens for a few seconds and then the person goes back to sleep. This constant disruption stops the person from reaching a deep sleep known as REM or Rapid Eye Movement. This level is needed to help our bodies rejuvenate and defend against psychological and physical health conditions.

Possible Risk Factors

Needless to say, obesity and overweight take many tolls from people's life, once occurred. Obstructive sleep apnea is no exception. The most essential cause of obstructive sleep apnea is overweight or obesity. It occurs mainly because excessive buildup of fat on both sides of the air passage turns out it to be narrow, especially when the muscles release. Another important risk factor of obstructive sleep apnea is age. It is mainly due to the fact that aging contributes to a decreasing muscle mass.

Indications, Signs and Complications

Sleep disturbance is the major sign of obstructive sleep apnea. Because of the constant waking and not being able to reach a deep sleep, you may suffer daytime drowsiness, irritability, anxiety, personality changes, memory problems, depression and other symptoms. It could even add to drowsy drive syndrome which increases the risk of having a car accident. Congestive heart failure and stroke risks are higher due to the lack of oxygen.

Available Treatment Methods

There is a wide variety of treatment methods available to treat obstructive sleep apnea. The first attempt includes weight reduction. It can be followed by positive pressure therapy, positional therapy, surgical interventions and using oral appliances. The positive pressure therapy has three components, namely, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), bi-level positive airway pressure (BPAP) and autotitration. Positional therapy is based on the assumption that specific positioning may help the patient get out of the problem of snoring or shortness of breath.

Article Source: http://www.articlewheel.com

Wondering what you can do about sleep apnea and snoring? A look at some sleep apnea statistics will tell you that you're not the only one suffering from it. Find out how to identify sleep apnea as well as the treatments for it on the Apnea Guide website at www.apneaguide.com

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