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
Sleep Apnea May Not Be Closely Linked to Heart Failure Severity
May 06, 2009 |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and central sleep apnea (CSA) are not markedly decreased in heart failure (HF) patients managed with beta-blockers and spironolactone, reports a study in the March issue of Journal of Cardiac Fai ...
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 ...
Sleep apnea thickens blood vessels, increases heart disease risk
May 04, 2009 |
5 / 5 (3) |
0
Obstructive sleep apnea, or periodic interruptions in breathing throughout the night, thickens sufferers' blood vessels. Moreover, it increases the risk of several forms of heart and vascular disease.
8 hours -- or else
Mar 27, 2009 |
4.3 / 5 (8) |
2
Americans are sleeping less than ever, according to a new National Sleep Foundation poll. Some people are losing sleep because of the economy. Some are staying up too late and getting up too early. Some have disorders such ...
Study shows that surgical weight loss does not eliminate obstructive sleep apnea
Aug 15, 2008 |
5 / 5 (3) |
0
A study in the August 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine shows that surgical weight loss results in an improvement of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), but most patients continue to have moderate to severe OSA on ...
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 ...
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.
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, ...
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.
Older men with breathing problems during sleep more likely to have irregular heartbeats
Jun 22, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
Increasingly severe sleep-related breathing disorders in older men appear to be associated with a greater risk of abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias), according to a report in the June 22 issue of Archives of Internal Me ...
Sleep apnea occurring during REM sleep is significantly associated with type 2 diabetes
Jun 15, 2009 |
5 / 5 (3) |
0
A multi-ethnic study in Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine reports that there is a statistically significant relationship between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) episodes occurring during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and ty ...
More than a bad night's sleep: Sleep apnea widely undiagnosed among obese type 2 diabetics
May 21, 2009 |
not rated yet |
0
Sleep apnea has long been known to be associated with obesity. But a new study published in the June issue of Diabetes Care finds that the disorder is widely undiagnosed among obese individuals with type 2 diabetes - near ...
Wearable blood pressure sensor offers 24/7 continuous monitoring
Apr 08, 2009 |
not rated yet |
1
(PhysOrg.com) -- High blood pressure is a common risk factor for heart attacks, strokes and aneurysms, so diagnosing and monitoring it are critically important. However, getting reliable blood pressure readings ...
Study helps explain connection between sleep apnea, stroke and death
Jan 06, 2009 |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
Obstructive sleep apnea decreases blood flow to the brain, elevates blood pressure within the brain and eventually harms the brain's ability to modulate these changes and prevent damage to itself, according to a new study ...
