Apnea literally means “cessation of breath”. In other words, apnea is when you stop breathing. Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is simply when your airway becomes obstructed during sleep, causing you to stop breathing. The human upper airway is surrounded by muscles. The largest of these muscles is the tongue. When we are awake we have tightness, or tonicity, in our upper airway muscles, but during sleep these muscles relax.
SYMPTOMS OF SLEEP APNEA INCLUDE
- Loud snoring
- Waking up with a sore or dry throat
- Morning headaches
- Occasionally waking up with a choking or gasping sensation
- Morning headaches
- Restless sleep
- Sleepiness or lack of energy during the day
- Forgetfulness
- Mood swings and irritability
- Decreased sex drive
- Insomnia
WHO IS AT RISK FOR SLEEP APNEA?
- Post-menopausal women
- Men are at higher risk
- Overweight
- Large neck size
- Large tonsils
- Large tongue
- Small jaw bone
- Family history of sleep apnea
- Nasal disruption
