Sleep apnea is a condition that affects a patient’s breathing during sleep, causing them to have one or more pauses lasting a few seconds or minutes or take shallow breaths whilst sleeping. It’s a chronic condition that disrupts sleep up to three or more nights a week. The change in breathing disrupts deep sleep and moves the patient into shallower sleep, resulting in poor sleep quality and tiredness during the day.

The most common type of apnea is obstructive sleep apnea in which the airways collapse or become blocked during sleep, causing shallow breathing or pauses. Air that passes through the blockage when the sleeper breathes causes loud snoring or a choking sound. This also causes a drop in blood oxygen levels that causes the brain to disrupt sleep. The frequent drops in oxygen levels and reduced sleep increases stress hormones and the risk of high blood pressure and heart attack.

Blocked or narrowed airways during sleep may be caused by the throat and tongue muscles relaxing more than usual during sleep, the tongue or tonsils been larger than the windpipe opening or being overweight resulting in extra fat tissue thickening the walls of the windpipe causing a narrower opening.

Most people with sleep apnea don’t know they have the condition because it happens when they are asleep, and the signs may first be noted by a family member or sleep partner. Overweight people are more at risk of suffering from the disorder, and it is more common in men. African-Americans and Hispanics are more likely to develop apnea and it may also be hereditary.

Symptoms of sleep apnea include loud and chronic snoring, often with pauses followed by choking or gasping sounds. But not everyone who snores has sleep apnea. Signs also include waking up with a dry throat, feeling irritable or morning headaches. Those who remain tired and constantly feel like they haven’t had much sleep might have the disorder. Children who have sleep apnea may be aggressive, do less well in school or wet the bed.

Sleep apnea is diagnosed easier in those with a history of the problem or using sleep studies. A physical exam of the nose, throat or mouth may also indicate signs of the illness.

Treatment is aimed at restoring normal breathing during sleep or relieving symptoms like snoring. Breathing devices or a mouthpiece may be used for those with mild sleep apnea. Surgery may also be recommended with those with the disorder encouraged to sleep on the side instead of on the back, lose weight or give up smoking or alcohol.