The Roots of Sleep Apnea

A good number of people suffer from sleep apnea but 90% of
them do not know they actually experience it. Normally, the
other family members or the bed partner are the ones who
notice the symptoms. Sleeping without anyone nearby makes
this condition ultimately life threatening.

Sleep apnea is mainly characterized by sudden and periodic
ceasing of breathing during sleep. Such episodes may occur
up to 100 times every night. The person suffering from this
condition awakens to restart breathing but is normally not
conscious of any these. Those who think they have sleep
apnea but do not sleep in proximity with anyone use audio
recordings to monitor and confirm any doubts.

There are a lot of things that must be remembered about this
condition. One is the fact that it may lead to sleep
deprivation because of the frequency of the disturbances
every night. Also, it is a disorder that lingers for a long
time if not properly treated and even worsens, as a person
gets older. Above all these, because of its very nature, no
doubt that it can be very detrimental to one's health and
life.

Snoring and sleep apnea are often mistaken to be one and the
same thing although they are not. Snoring is basically just
producing an unusual sound during sleep but this does not
necessarily mean breathing has stopped. However, it may come
with sleep apnea.

Various factors may bring about this condition. Here are just some
of them:

Age. Older people have a greater to tendency to suffer from
this. Also, if the condition started at an earlier period, it
worsens with age.

Gender. Statistics show that men and more prone to
experience sleep apnea.

Family history. The genetic makeup that leads to sleep
apnea has not yet been exactly pointed out but statistics
give the impression that such is indeed hereditary. This can
be largely related to certain structures of the body that
make a person more vulnerable to it.

Obesity or excess fat. People who are overweight normally
have enlarged throat tissues that block the airway. This is
not the case for everyone, though. Around 50% of those
with sleep apnea are within normal weights.

Body structure anomalies. Certain structural deformities
may obstruct the air passageway. Examples are a receding
chin, an enlarged tongue, and problems with the septum.

Adenoids and enlargement of tonsils. Children are most
prone to these thus making them vulnerable to sleep apnea.

Nasal congestion. This builds up too much pressure in the
throat during air uptake, as air cannot flow easily.

Fluctuating sleep schedule and hours. This confuses the
body systems and negatively affects Stage 1 and REM sleep.
Since both initial sleep stages are disrupted, breathing
becomes unstable.

Snoring. Not only does it come with sleep apnea, it may
also be a cause. As the soft palate constantly vibrates, it
may result to lengthening which eventually may block the
passageway of air.

Intake of alcohol and sleep-inducing prescriptions right
before sleeping. This causes the muscles of the throat and
tongue to be excessively relaxed and leads to snoring which,
as mentioned, could be a cause as well.

Smoking. This obviously harms the air passageway. Same
thing happens when one is exposed to secondhand smoke.

Other disorders and medical conditions. Examples include
hypothyroidism, vocal cord paralysis, disorders of the
nerves and muscles, acromegaly, and down syndrome.
Sleep apnea may be a product of a lot of factors and may
have an impact on a lot of aspects as well. Not only does it
negatively affect health, it also affects one's functions in
general. A person who has been deprived of sleep and oxygen
cannot be that productive anymore. Life as a whole is
disturbed. There are some possible remedies and
interventions, though. However, medications are usually not
effective. Self-help remedies, which pose better results,
include regularization of sleep hours, regular exercise,
avoidance of alcohol and smoking, and sleeping sideways.
Surgery on physical anomalies may also be very helpful but
not everyone would want to undergo such procedure.

Sleep apnea is a medical condition that deserves attention.
It is best to consult an expert as soon as there are
symptoms.