Obstructive Sleep Apnea

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The dramatic increase in the worldwide prevalence of obesity has paralleled the increase in the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea. Even with heightened awareness by the lay and medical communities, obstructive sleep apnea is still markedly under-diagnosed, as evidenced by the persistent presentation of late-stage cardiovascular complications in obese individuals newly diagnosed with sleep apnea. The strongest observational evidence to support a link between sleep apnea and obesity is the similarity in age distribution of symptomatic sleep apnea and metabolic syndrome. The putative causal links between sleep apnea and each individual component of the metabolic syndrome have been extensively evaluated and have implicated bidirectional causality …show more content…

Each pause in breathing, called an apnea, can last for several seconds to several minutes, and may occur at least 5 times in an hour. There are two types of sleep apnea, obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is more common of the two forms of apnea, and it is caused by a blockage of the airway, usually when the soft tissue in the back of the throat collapses during sleep. Sleep apnea has substantial impact on general health. Not only does the poor and fragmented sleep caused by obstructive sleep apnea result in daytime sleepiness and consequent increased risk of motor vehicle and occupational accidents, but neurocognitive function, mood, and quality of life can be impaired as well.
The most common signs and symptoms of obstructive apnea may include excessive daytime sleepiness, loud snoring, which is more prominent in obstructive sleep apnea, episodes of breathing cessation during sleep witnessed by another person, and awakening with a dry mouth or sore throat. Many people do not think of snoring as a sign of something potentially serious, and not everyone who has sleep apnea snores. However, it is important to talk to the doctor if you experience loud snoring, especially snoring that is punctuated by periods of …show more content…

In fact, obesity is one of the strongest predictors of obstructive sleep apnea and has been utilized in common obstructive sleep apnea screening tools. About half of the people who have sleep apnea are overweight, and they also have high blood pressure which is directly linked to obesity. Obesity, particularly in a pattern that increases fat deposition in the neck and upper body, has strong effects on obstructive sleep apnea pathogenesis by narrowing the upper airway and increasing airway

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