by Shen-Li Lee

Created on: March 31, 2007   Last Updated: June 23, 2009

What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a condition where an individual stops breathing for a period of time during their sleep. This cycle repeats many times during the night interrupting a person's sleep. The obstruction may be complete or partial but is usually sufficient to waken the sleeper for just a few seconds so that they resume breathing again. This interruption prevents a person from achieving the restful states of sleep, such as REM (rapid eye movement - the dream phase) sleep.

The Cause of Sleep Apnoea

Although the exact cause is unclear, the site of obstruction is usually involves the soft tissues at the back of the mouth and nasal cavity. During the day, the muscles in this area help keeps the airway intact. At night, the muscles relax to a point where the airway collapses and breathing is obstructed.

Who is at Risk?

The people at risk for developing Obstructive Sleep Apnea are those who have weight gain (especially in the neck area), certain anatomical features (e.g. receding chin), enlarged tonsils and adenoids, a family history (although it is not genetically linked), use alcohol and sedating drugs, smoke (smoking causes swelling and narrowing of the upper airway), certain medical conditions (such as hypothyroidism, acromegaly, amyloidosis, neuromuscular disorders, Marfan's syndrome, Down's syndrome congestion

Common Signs and Symptoms

Common symptoms are excessive sleepiness during the day, personality changes, depression, decreased memory, erectile dysfunction, morning headaches, frequent need to urinate.

People who suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnea are rarely aware that they wake up frequently during the night. The physical signs that suggest a person may have Obstructive Sleep Apnea are obesity, loud snoring, a witnessed episode of apnoea by a sleep partner (e.g. the spouse).

People with Obstructive Sleep Apnea also often suffer from high blood pressure and tachycardia (rapid heart beat).

How Do You Know if You Have Sleep Apnoea?

There are five simple questions that may be used to help determine if an individual is likely to have sleep apnea (however, definitive testing may still required through sleep studies conducted on the individual):

1. Do you fall asleep easily during the day (e.g. while driving) despite having an adequate amount of sleep?

2. Do you wake up with dry mouth?

3. Do you wake up frequently during the night to urinate?

4. Do you have high blood pressure?

5. Do you get tachycardia

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