Sleep apnea is a very communal sleeping disorder which is prevalent all over the globe. The cessation of breathing in the condition of sleep apnea occurs periodically. It results in the awakening from sleep, thus making it impossible for a person affecting from sleep apnea to maintain a sound sleep. Moreover, the periodic cessation during sleep forces the brain to be awake from deeper stages of sleep to allow the body to start breathing again. Sleep apnea not only disturbs the ability of the person to maintain a healthy sleep, but also causes a number of medical issues.
Different Types Of Sleep Apnea
Generally, obstructive sleep apnea is very familiar among people, but there are two other types of sleep apnea too. The following are all the three types of sleep apnea.
Obstructive sleep apnea:
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is one of the most prevalent types of sleep apnea, and it affects almost 2% of women and 4% of men all over the world. However, the majority of the obstructive sleep apnea sufferers do not get a proper diagnosis of the disorder and then ultimately are not able to seek proper treatment. Almost 10% of the sleep apnea patients are among the people who do not get treatment for sleep apnea. Some of the most common indications of sleep apnea include snoring, choking, and loud gasping. In the case of obstructive sleep apnea, the blockage of the airways happens, and this blockage is either partial or complete. A person having sleep apnea when goes into a sound sleep, the throat muscles relax and allow the fatty tissues of the throat and tongue to fall back in the airway and thus blocking the air passage.
The obstruction in the passage of air causes restriction of the air to move beyond the obstructed area. Thus, there is a reduction of blood flow to the brain. However, the reduction in blood flow to the brain causes the brain to wake up partially from the sleep so that the person can breathe again. During an episode of obstructive sleep apnea, the person produces snorting sounds and loud gasping as the person tries to take deep breaths in order to let the airflow through that obstruction. Once the person starts breathing again on waking up and tries to sleep again, then the process starts again, and this process can happen for a few times a night or more than hundred times one single night. The recurrence of the obstructive sleep apnea episode depends on the severity of the condition a particular person is having.
Following are some categories of the severity of obstructive sleep apnea:
- Mild obstructive sleep apnea:
The person is suffering experiences almost 5-14 events of obstructions in breathing in a single hour of sleep.
- Moderate obstructive sleep apnea:
The person is suffering experiences about 15-30 events of obstructions in breathing during an hour.
- Severe obstructive sleep apnea:
The person is suffering experiences almost 30 or more than 30 events of obstructions in the breathing during an hour.