Sleep apnea
hideSleep apnea (or sleep apnoea in British English) is a sleep disorder characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep. Each episode, called an apnea (Greek: ἄπνοια (ápnoia), from α- (a-), privative, πνέειν (pnéein), to breathe), lasts long enough so that one or more breaths are missed, and such episodes occur repeatedly throughout sleep. The standard definition of any apneic event includes a minimum 10 second interval between breaths, with either a neurological arousal (a 3-second or greater shift in EEG frequency, measured at C3, C4, O1, or O2), a blood oxygen desaturation of 3-4% or greater, or both arousal and desaturation. Sleep apnea is diagnosed with an overnight sleep test called a polysomnogram, or a "Sleep Study".
Clinically significant levels of sleep apnea are defined as five or more episodes per hour of any type of apnea (from the polysomnogram). There are three distinct forms of sleep apnea: central, obstructive, and complex (i.e., a combination of central and obstructive) constituting 0.4%, 84% and 15% of cases respectively. Breathing is interrupted by the lack of respiratory effort in central sleep apnea; in obstructive sleep apnea, breathing is interrupted by a physical block to airflow despite respiratory effort. In complex (or "mixed") sleep apnea, there is a transition from central to obstructive features during the events themselves.
Regardless of type, the individual with sleep apnea is rarely aware of having difficulty breathing, even upon awakening. Sleep apnea is recognized as a problem by others witnessing the individual during episodes or is suspected because of its effects on the body (sequelae). Symptoms may be present for years (or even decades) without identification, during which time the sufferer may become conditioned to the daytime sleepiness and fatigue associated with significant levels of sleep disturbance.
For more information about Sleep apnea, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with sleep apnea
Computer Science Provides a More Sound Way to Test for Sleep Apnea
Nov 02, 2009 |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
(PhysOrg.com) -- A computer scientist from the University of Houston and a doctor of sleep medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston have teamed up to create a new, less invasive ...
Teeth grinding linked to sleep apnea
Nov 02, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
There is a high prevalence of nocturnal teeth grinding, or bruxism, in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), particularly in Caucasians. New research presented at CHEST 2009, the 75th annual international scientific ...
Sleep apnea therapy improves golf game
Nov 02, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
Golfers who undergo treatment for sleep apnea may improve their golf game as well as their overall health, shows new research. A new study presented at CHEST 2009, the 75th annual international scientific assembly of the ...
Safety board issues wake-up call on sleep disorder
Oct 21, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
(AP) -- Safety investigators have sent government agencies a wake-up call about sleep apnea, a disorder that's showing up in a wide range of transportation accidents.
Surgery is an option for some patients hoping to get a good night's rest
Oct 08, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
According to research recently published by an Oregon Health & Science University scientist, a form of surgery called uvopalatopharyngoplasty is effective for treating certain patients who suffer from sleep apnea, one of ...
Oropharyngeal cancer patients experience post-surgery sleep apnea
Oct 06, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
Nearly all patients who underwent surgery to treat oropharyngeal cancer experienced some degree of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), according to new research presented at the 2009 American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and ...
Minimally invasive procedure effective for treating snoring
Oct 05, 2009 |
4 / 5 (2) |
0
Radiofrequency ablation, a procedure that uses heat to shrink the tissue of the soft palate, is an effective and minimally invasive procedure that can be used to treat patients who snore.
Stress, fatigue plague patients with allergic rhinitis and obstructive sleep apnea
Oct 04, 2009 |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
Patients who suffer from both allergic rhinitis and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may experience escalated symptoms of stress and fatigue.
Many patients with sleep apnea also suffer from GI tract conditions
Oct 04, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
Patients who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) also tend to have additional gastrointestinal (GI) tract conditions, such as gastric reflux and hiatal hernia, which form at the opening in your diaphragm where your ...
Linking weight loss to less sleep apnea
Sep 28, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
More than 12 million people in the U.S. suffer from sleep apnea, most common among the overweight and obese. More than just loud snoring, it can lead to high blood pressure, stroke, cardiovascular disease and a poor quality ...
Warning over codeine use after tonsillectomy
Aug 19, 2009 |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
A report out of The University of Western Ontario, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, warns the use of codeine to treat pain following a tonsillectomy could prove fatal for some children. Dr. Gideon Koren, ...
Severe breathing disorders during sleep are associated with an increased risk of dying
Aug 17, 2009 |
4 / 5 (3) |
0
Severe breathing disorders during sleep are associated with an increased risk of dying from any cause according to research published this week in the open access journal PLoS Medicine. The study finds that the increased risk o ...
Obstructive sleep apnea is prevalent in adults with Down syndrome
Aug 15, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
A study in the Aug. 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine shows that adults with Down syndrome also frequently suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, complications of untreated OSA such as cardio ...
Study finds increased 'sibling risk' of obstructive sleep apnea in children
Aug 01, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
A study in the Aug. 1 issue of the journal Sleep indicates that children have an increased risk of developing obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) if they have at least one sibling who has been diagnosed with the sleep disorder.
Benefits from upper airway surgery for sleep apnea found to equal CPAP
Aug 01, 2009 |
4.5 / 5 (4) |
1
Adults who struggle with CPAP treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) should be considered candidates for reconstructive surgery on the upper airway, because it holds the same quality-of-life (QOL) benefits but with more ...
