Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

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Sleep apnea is an important cause of poor memory, high blood pressure, and stroke.

Sleep apnoea is a common condition in which oxygen supply to the brain is intermittently cut off during sleep. There are two types;

1. Central sleep apnea.
2. Obstructive sleep apnea.

In central sleep apnoea, the area of your brain, that controls breathing, fails to send the correct signal to your breathing muscles. This type of sleep apnoea is less common.
Obstructive sleep apnea is the commonest type. When you are awake, throat muscles help keep the airway stiff. It maintains the airway open so oxygen can flow into the lungs. During sleep the muscles are relaxed and the airway collapses and get blocked. Partial obstruction is indicated by snoring.

The airway can be blocked completely. Reduced airflow into the lungs leads to drop in your blood oxygen level. When the oxygen drops to a dangerous level, your sleep is disturbed and you wake for a moment. This helps tighten the airway muscles and open your airway. After that you will fall into sleep. Then the apnea cycle  start again. This happens several hundred times during a night.
However, most people who have this condition do not know that they have it. A family member or partner may first notice the signs of sleep apnea, specially snoring.
Causes of sleep apnea.

• Obesity and overweight.
• Enlarged tonsils.
• Enlarged tongue.
• Short neck.
• Excessive alcohol consumption.
• Sedative medications.
• Obstruction of the nose.
• Sleeping on the back.
• Some neurological conditions. 

Symptoms of sleep apnea.

• Excessive daytime sleepiness.
• Un-refreshed sleep.
• Tiredness.
• Loud snoring.
• Choking at night.
• Headache in the morning.
• Learning difficulties.
• Poor memory.
• Impaired concentration.
• Personality changes.
• Depression.
• Loss of libido.

Complications of sleep apnea.

• High blood pressure.
• Increased incidence of heart attack.
• Increased incidence of stroke.
• Cardiac arrhythmia.
• Heart failure.
• Diabetes.
• Obesity.
• Increased chance of having work related and road traffic accidents.

How sleep apnea is diagnosed?
It can be diagnosed accurately by doing a sleep study. The common type of sleep study is a polysomnogram. This test records your brain activity, eye movements, breathing, airflow, heart rate, blood pressure, and the amount of oxygen in your blood.
Home sleep apnea test is also available using a portable monitor.
Treatment of obstructive sleep apnea: will be available in the next post.