Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a disorder that causes people to stop breathing for short periods while sleeping. These periods are called apneas. They usually last between 10 and 30 seconds. In severe cases, apneas can occur hundreds of times every night, which disrupts the ability of the person to sleep well at night.
This means that the person is less alert during the day, which can cause accidents. People with sleep apnea are untreated for up to seven times more likely to suffer motor vehicle accidents. It is also more likely to develop high blood pressure.
Generally, sleep apnea occurs when airways in the nose or throat are partially or completely blocked. Can be blocked by tonsils (tonsillitis) large, big or too tongue tissue in the airways, which is more common in overweight people. When respiratory muscles relax during sleep, this extra tissue can block them. This is called obstructive sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea can also occur when the brain stem, the area of the brain that controls breathing, damaged, eg by infection or a stroke. This is called central sleep apnea. Studies show that sleep apnea affects approximately 9% of men and 4% of women at midlife.
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