Sleep Apnea

What is Sleep Apnea?

First, what does apnea mean? Apnea means stopping breathing.

There are 2 major types of sleep apnea: Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and central sleep apnea. The majority of the material presented here refers to OSA and sleep apnea refers to OSA unless otherwise stated. OSA is a disease where the airway gets completely or partially blocked which leads to a reduction or complete cessation of airflow. Central sleep apnea is a disease in which the brain does not tell the breathing muscles to work, which leads to a pause in the breathing.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a disease that is related to a narrowing or complete collapse of the airway while sleeping. This is often a repetitive process throughout the entire night. This results in a drop in the oxygen level, an arousal, or often both. Patients often report very loud snoring, witnessed apneas (someone has observed you stopping breathing while asleep), awakening tired, excessive daytime somnolence (EDS), difficulty concentrating, memory disturbances, falling asleep while driving, and lack of energy.

Not all patients who have these symptoms have sleep apnea. These symptoms raise suspicion for OSA, but do not make the diagnosis. Currently, the diagnosis can only be made by undergoing a sleep study.