Obstructive Sleep Apnea Can Be Life Threatening

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can be the major reason of decrease in energy and tiredness during the day and not just aging, although that is a possiblity. It is a kind of sleep disorder which is characterized by pauses in breathing or shallow breathing. The low breathing is referred to as hypopnea while the pause is called apnea.

Aside from OSA, the other two forms of apnea are the central sleep apnea (CSA) and a complex condition that is a hybrid of OSA and CSA. The most common of the three is the obstructive sleep apnea at 84 percent of the cases. Pauses or apneas during sleep are results of breathing interruptions due to the presence of a physical block along the airway despite respiratory effort. This is usually accompanied by snoring which alerts bedroom mates because it is something that the afflicted is seldom aware of. The characteristic nocturnal sound or snore is produced as the air that a person breathes squeeze past the airway blockage lying along the airway.

The slackening of the soft muscles in the palate and throat commonly serves as the obstruction of the airway. This is caused by factors such as age, excessive body weight and/or other underlying medical conditions. Since estrogen keeps muscles from relaxing, menopause among older women can be another precipitating factor of obstructive sleep apnea. Anatomical or structural anomalies can be a causal factor that can only be corrected by invasive procedures like surgery. One such case is the characteristic low and thick soft palate that instinctively vibrates as the air passes through.

Not all who snore have obstructive sleep apnea. But when a person make all these disturbing nocturnal sounds, wake up grumpy and fall asleep even in the middle of important tasks like driving or working may probably have OSA. If other symptoms like forgetfulness, frequent headaches and fatigue become observable, one may consider seeing a doctor for diagnosis and treatment.

Obstructive sleep apnea is not life threatening unless there is a serious underlying medical cause. Sleep deprivation, however, must still be treated to prevent possible repercussion due to slow cognitive functions like accidents and depression.