subject: Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome – Common Causes and Effects [print this page] Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome Common Causes and Effects
Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome or OSA is the most common type of sleep apnea. The other two types are central sleep apnea and mixed sleep apnea. OSA is caused by a physical obstruction in a person's air passages. These obstructions block the air passages causing a person to make noises known commonly as a snore. Take not however, that not all persons who snore have sleep apnea. People normally tend to snore when they are extremely tired or when they are drunk. The dangerous type of snoring is the one accompanied by long pauses in breathing. These pauses are then followed by snorts or gasps for air when awakened. This is known to be an apnea attack. Most affected individuals don't know that they are experiencing these apnea episodes. Thus, it is very important for people who are not affected to know about this sleep disorder. Primary symptoms of OSA are often noticed not by the sufferer but by their family or bed partners.
Common symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome
Sufferers of obstructive sleep apnea are constantly suffering from sleep deprivation. They tend to feel very tired and groggy even with enough hours of sleep. Symptoms of sleep apnea tend to be misunderstood as being lazy or having slow comprehension. This is because they are constantly tired and cannot concentrate well due to sleep deprivation. Sleep apnea sufferers who drive is like an accident waiting to happen. They tend to fall asleep on the wheel specially during long-distance driving. Their work performance is greatly affected because they have trouble concentrating and memorizing. Some children who suffer from sleep apnea tend to do badly in school. They have sudden behavioral changes, tend to be easily irritated and gets easily depressed. But the most dangerous symptom happens while they are sleeping. The heavy snoring with long pauses inbreathing causes them to lose oxygen. Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome can lead to heart problems and stroke if left untreated.
Causes of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome
OSA is caused by an obstruction in a person's airways. In the nasal area, blockage could be caused by a stuffy nose or having a deviated septum. This is a misalignment of the cartilage that separates your left and right nostril. Any other abnormality in the nasal area causing narrow airways could lead to OSA. In the throat and mouth area, blockage can be due to enlarged tonsils and adenoids. It narrows the air passages especially when our head is laid back while asleep. It drops down at the back of the throat and blocks that air passages causing the person to lose oxygen. The soft palate or the tissue at the roof of our mouth is the number one culprit in blocking the airways. This is the part that is most often removed in sleep apnea surgery.
A blocked airway causes a person to snore. The sound is produced by the air trying its hardest to pass through a very narrow air passage. Obstructive sleep apnea sufferers would take a deep breath then pause for about 10 seconds or more. It causes the body and blood to lose oxygen. Then brain then notices that it is not receiving any oxygen. It sends signals to the body to wake up and breathe. The person suddenly jerks awake and gasps for air. This is what makes the snorting sound. All throughout the episode, the sufferer is unaware that the snoring and snorting is happening. This is known as an apnea attack and it can occur for more than a hundred times a night.
Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome has a solution. It involves introducing pressurized air into the person's air passage to shove aside the blockage. If you fear you may have sleep apnea, consult with your doctor about this treatment.
