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.
There are two main types of apnea: obstructive and central apnea. Some patients could suffer from both types simultaneously, andthis is referred to as mixed sleep apnea.
The most common type of apnea, the obstructive one, is defined as repetitive partial or complete closure of the pharynx leading to reduced or obstructed gas exchanges during sleep.Hypopnea is defined as a reduction in air flow of 50% or more of the normal expected flow, for more than 10 seconds. Apnea is defined as the complete absence of air flow for more than 10 seconds.
Sleep apnea is very common although still very under diagnosed; it is estimated that 3% up to 5% of world population suffers from obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. 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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