Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder that occurs when a person’s breathing is interrupted during sleep. People with untreated sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep, sometimes hundreds of times. This means the brain and the rest of the body may not get enough oxygen.
There are two types of sleep apnea:
- Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA): The more common of the two forms of apnea, it is caused by a blockage of the airway, usually when the soft tissue in the back of the throat collapses during sleep.
- Central sleep apnea: Unlike OSA, the airway is not blocked, but the brain fails to signal the muscles to breathe, due to instability in the respiratory control center. Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder that occurs when a person’s breathing is interrupted during sleep. People with untreated sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep, sometimes hundreds of times. This means the brain and the rest of the body may not get enough oxygen.
Recognizing the symptoms
The first thing you need to do is to recognize the symptoms of Sleep Apnea. A lot of people think that they don’t suffer from this disorder because they don’t recognize the symptoms. It can help if you know what these symptoms are so you would know if you’re suffering from Sleep Apnea or not.
Identify if you’re overweight
Sleep Apnea has been linked to obesity and being overweight. So, before you apply any treatment, make sure that you identify the real cause of your condition – weight gain or other factors like age, family history, and other factors that may contribute to your condition. If your doctor says that it’s caused by your weight, then the best thing that you can do is to lose weight.
