Sleep apnea
Apnea is a Greek word that means “without breath”. This condition is characterized by breathing arrest during sleep. These stops can be very short, but also could last up to two minutes. The frequency of the attacks can be up to 30 times an hour or more, heavily interrupting the patient’s sleep time. The Obstructive Sleep Apnea-Hypopnea Syndrome (OSAS) is thus derived from the obstructive episodes during the night, and the daytime effects of the disease due sleep time alterations in this disease.
There are two main types of apnea: obstructive and central apnea. Some patients could suffer from both types simultaneously, and ths is referred to as mixed sleep apnea.
The most common type of apnea, the obstructive one, is defined as repetitive partial (hypopnea) or complete (apnea) closure of the pharynx leading to reduced or obstructed gas exchanges during sleep.Hypopnea is defined as a reduction in air flow equal or higher than 50% the normal expected flow, for more than 10 seconds, also being associated to a drop in oxygen blood concentration equal or higher than 4%. Apnea is defined as the complete absence of air flow for more than 10 seconds, which could be or not associated to thoracic and/or abdominal effort to breathe.
Sleep apnea is very common although still very under diagnosed; it is estimated that 3% up to 5% of world population suffers from OSAS. Most often, the typical referred patient is male, seriously overweight and over the age of forty. However, anyone at any age could present with OSAS.
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