Sleep Apnea (I)
Author: mzPOTTER
Apnea are the most common sleep disorder and are characterized by snoring sufferers to sleep, feel tired during the day and have difficulty concentrating, not a minor condition, because the lack of adequate treatment and even health deteriorates life-threatening.
Apneas are a series of repeated episodes that occur during sleep, in which the air does not reach the lungs, completely or in part, by more than 10 seconds. Although sometimes it can be generated by problems in the transmission of electrical impulses in the brain, this condition is due mainly to the tissues of the throat relax too much, causing a greater effort to supply the body with oxygen, so that breathing becomes forced and generates a characteristic sound: snoring.
That is why there are individuals more prone to this problem, such as older people because they have little strength or tone in the muscles of the body region, such that when you relax during sleep causing the obstruction, or who are obese, because fat deposits in the neck (dewlap) puts pressure on the throat.
Different origins
There are two types of apnea, obstructive sleep (OSA) and the so-called central sleep apnea. The first is the most common and because the muscles that normally keep the airway open relax and sag during sleep, causing the tongue, palate and uvula repeatedly block breathing.
In this case the brain perceives a decrease in oxygen levels in the blood, so it emits signals that trigger the formation of substances that require a brief awakening, so as to permit opening the throat, this episode is so short that the individual does not remember, but can be perceived by someone close when you hear a hum or a deep heavy sigh.
This pattern can be repeated hundreds of times in one night (in many cases affecting the peace of the spouse or other close associates who have OSA), and rarely manages to reach deep stages of sleep, which are at rest is achieved. So people who have this sleep disorder are drowsy and weak.
For his part, central sleep apnea occurs because the brain does not send the right signals to the muscles responsible for breathing and it suddenly stopped. As a result, it is likely that the person is awake during a period of 10 to 60 seconds from lack of air.
In both cases there is a decrease in quality of life due to lack of rest and sleep, as well as sudden drops in oxygen levels in the blood, which can increase blood pressure and wear down the cardiovascular system , which increases the risk of stroke.