subject: 3 Types of Sleep Apnea (Apnoea) Defined [print this page] Actual statistics about the number of people affected by snoring are hard to find. Globally, it has been estimated that a staggering 763 million people snore.
The dangerous form of snoring is known as "sleep apnea", or lesser known as "sleep apnoea", in which the individual stops breathing! Apnoea is a greek word meaning "want of breath". In this article, sleep apnea and sleep apnoea will be used interchangeably.
Sleep apnea occurs when no air passes through the subject's nose or mouth for up to 10 seconds, depending on the severity. More males suffered from sleep apnea compared to females, the ratio is about 2:1. Sleep apnoea is no joking method, it causes embarrassment when you snore in public, or cause disturbances to your spouse/family. It can affect your physical or mental health too.
There are 3 types of sleep apnea:
Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) most common. The airway falls in on itself and becomes completely blocked. Partial obstruction causing snoring can be replaced by total obstruction (causing sleep apnoea).
Central Sleep Apnoea (CSA) happens when the brain does not send the right signals to you to breath during sleeping
Mixed Sleep Apnoea (MSA) well, this is a mixture of the first 2 types: OSA + CSA
People with sleep apnea hardly get the benefits of a good sleep. Sufferers will experience daytime sleepiness, irritability, loss of productivity at work, falling asleep and lack of concentration. This can be dangerous when an individual with sleep apnea drives and fall asleep resulting in road accidents.
It is almost impossible to cover everything in one single article, this is simply a layman's guide to snoring and sleep apnea, and only covers the surface. Apnea101.com is a source on treatments, causes, side-effects, symptoms for sleep apnea suffers. For more reading, you should get a book written by reputable doctors, or check out our Books & Reviews category. More important, go for regular consultations to get treatment for your sleep apnea.
