What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

Sleep apnea (from the latin "without breath") is caused by an obstruction of the airways during sleep for more than 10 seconds and occurring more than 5 times an hour during sleep.

What usually happens is that the soft tissue in the rear of the throat collapses and closes during sleep. During this time the body is deprived of oxygen. The longer the the patient remains without breathing and repeating the phenomenon, the more severe the affliction.

It is estimated that 10% of the adult population is affected by this disease. However a big problem behind these statistics is that 90% of women and 80% of men are unaware that they suffer from OSA as they have not been diagnosed.

The typical process of sleep apnea, that is repeated all through the night, is:

What Are Sleep Apnea Symptoms:

Among the most common symptoms of sleep apnea is daytime sleepiness. Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is often perceived as a lack of concentration during the day, decreased memory, impaired mental performance ...

Other symptoms include insomnia and snoring. Also atigue, frequent naps, headaches, irritability and poor memory and attention spans. Thees are some of the other common symptoms associated with sleep apnea as a result of insufficient sleep.

Sleep Apnea At A Glance

What is Sleep Apnea?

• Sleep apnea is defined as a reduction or cessation of breathing during sleep.
• The three types of sleep apnea are central apnea, obstructive apnea, and a mixture of central and obstructive apnea.
• Central sleep apnea is caused by a failure of the brain to activate the muscles of breathing during sleep.
• Obstructive sleep apnea is caused by the collapse of the airway during sleep.
• The complications of obstructive sleep apnea include high blood pressure, strokes, heart disease, automobile accidents, and daytime sleepiness as well as difficulty concentrating, thinking and remembering.
• Obstructive sleep apnea is diagnosed and an evaluation of the patients medical history, physical examination and polysomnography.
• The non-surgical treatments for obstructive sleep apnea include behavior therapy, medications, dental appliances, continuous positive airway pressure, bi-level positive airway pressure, and auto-titrating continuous positive airway pressure.
• The surgical treatments for obstructive sleep apnea include nasal surgery, palate implants, uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, tongue reduction surgery, genioglossus advancement, maxillo-mandibular advancement, tracheostomy, and bariatric surgery.

What are the implications of Sleep Apnea?

The consequences of this disease arise both from the lack of sleep and the lack of oxygen that the body receives..

The consequences of not having a good night's sleep is daytime sleepiness and lack of concentration, with dangerous side effects such as accidents of all types, including traffic and machinery operation accidents, decreased physical and mental performance, memory loss and even psychiatric disorders like depression .

The consequences of oxygen deprivation during the night are cardiovascular disorders such as hypertension, heart attacks, strokes, arrhythmias, glucose intolerance or diabetes mellitus, ...

Quality of life and life expectancy of people with obstructive sleep apnea are much less that for the healthy population.

 What are the Causes of Airway Obstruction during sleep?

There are two fundamental reasons why the disease occurs:

One is that the upper airway is narrowed and the other relates to neurological and altered muscle tone causes..

There are many disorders that cause the narrowing of the airway

  * Deviated nasal septum or enlarged turbinates
  * A long palate and redundant
  * An arched or narrow palate
  * Have the tonsils and / or large adenoids
  * Have altered bite
  * Have the back of the tongue too far back
  * Changes in the bones of the face
  * A small jaw
  * A short neck and flanged
  * Excessive soft tissue
  * Obesity

What Other Diseases Are Associated With Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

There are diseases and conditions that increase the likelihood of having sleep apnea such as obesity, hypothyroidism, alcohol or taking medications that affect the nervous system such as benzodiazepines.

Who gets OSA?

Traditionally it was thought that this disease only affected obese men over 50. Today we know it is not so and that any person may have obstructive sleep apnea: from a young, thin, male or female, to an elder.

Not Everything Is Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Keep in mind that there are some other sleeping disorders and it is important not to confuse them. For example, insomnia, restless leg syndrome, narcolepsy, parasomnias, including sleep apnea without obstructionare are different diseases. Each has its own treatment and therefore it is important to make a correct diagnosis.