Related topics: patients , blood pressure , sleep , body mass index
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
Obesity increases the risk for obstructive sleep apnea in adolescents, but not in younger children
Dec 15, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
A study in the Dec. 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine shows that being overweight or obese increases the risk for developing obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in adolescents but not in younger children.
Ecstasy may be linked to sleep apnea
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Dec 02, 2009 |
not rated yet |
1
New research shows that recreational users of the drug known as ecstasy may be at a higher risk for sleep apnea. The study is published in the December 2, 2009, online issue of Neurology.
Sleep apnea may cause heart disease in kidney transplant patients
Nov 19, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
Sleep apnea is common in individuals who receive a kidney transplant and is associated with increased risk of high blood pressure, heart disease or stroke, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Jo ...
Search results for sleep apnea
Urine test for pediatric obstructive sleep apnea possible
Dec 07, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
Researchers at the University of Chicago have discovered a technique that is able to determine whether a child has obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) or habitual snoring by screening their urine.
Insomnia symptoms linked with medical complaints in young school-aged children
Dec 15, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
A study in the Dec. 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine indicates that significant associations exist between parent-reported insomnia symptoms and medical complaints of gastrointestinal regurgitation and he ...
An end to sleep problems? Researchers discover enzyme behind effects of sleep deprivation
Nov 26, 2009 |
4 / 5 (1) |
0
There is hope for those who miss one night too many or whose children keep them up at night. The unwelcome effects of a bad night's sleep - forgetfulness, impaired mental performance - can be dealt with by reducing the concentration ...
Study shows that adults have dreamlike thoughts during sleepwalking and sleep terrors episodes
Dec 01, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
A study in the Dec.1 issue of the journal Sleep shows that short, unpleasant, dreamlike mental activity occurs during sleepwalking and sleep terrors episodes, suggesting that people with these sleep disorders may be acting ...
Are patients losing sleep over blood pressure monitors?
Dec 17, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
A widely used test for measuring nighttime blood pressure may interfere with patients' sleep, thus affecting the results of the test, reports a study in an upcoming issue of Clinical Journal of the American Society of Ne ...
Sleep changes predict the onset of physical changes associated with puberty
Dec 01, 2009 |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
A study in the Dec.1 issue of the journal Sleep suggests that changes in children's sleep patterns that typically occur between the ages of 11 and 12 years are evident before the physical changes associated with the onset ...
Sleep and Cancer: Uncomfortable Bedfellows
Dec 15, 2009 |
4.5 / 5 (2) |
0
(PhysOrg.com) -- Newly-diagnosed cancer patients face a number of life-long challenges, but a new study from the Duke Clinical Research Institute suggests that a lack of sleep may be one of the most persistent and disruptive. ...
Hyperactivity associated with short sleep-time for young boys: study
Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry
Nov 27, 2009 |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
(PhysOrg.com) -- Hyperactive boys don't get enough sleep, which can worsen their condition according to new research. Published in the November issue of Pediatrics, the study is the first to examine a larg ...
A mobile phone or an MP3 player tells if you're sleeping soundly
Nov 19, 2009 |
4 / 5 (1) |
0
Finnish researcher Väinö Virtanen has developed a method for analysing snoring sounds by using a PC with a microphone connection and a wireless microphone. The objective was to create an application that could be used ...
Weight loss reduces sleep problems in obese men
Dec 04, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
Weight loss reduces obstructive sleep apnoea in obese men, with the greatest effect seen in patients with severe disease, according to new research published in the British Medical Journal today.
List of search results for sleep apnea
