Introduction to Sleep Apnea

Obstructive Sleep Apnea is highly prevalent in the population compared to its counterparts. As the name implies it is caused due to an obstruction in the free flow of the air. During sleep, there is not enough air from nose to lungs as the windpipe is blocked or collapsed briefly during breathing, due to the relaxation of muscles.

The cause might be due to tonsils, overweight of the person, smaller airway, respiratory infection, improper facial structure, worn out airway muscles, obstruction in the nasal passages, reduction in blood oxygen saturation and sometimes the structure of the jaw.  It can prevail in people who take drugs too.  So little time is spent in deep sleep that the brain briefly raises to activity when they resume breathing, resulting in sleep deprivation. This causes tiredness, weakness and in advanced cases stroke, asthma and sometimes depression
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