Information on Sleep Apnea

All in One Page Sleep Apnea Info

Looking for information on sleep apnea, but you are too tired to read?

Find all the information you need in one page:

  • signs of sleep apnea,
  • risk factors,
  • sleep apnea problems,
  • and various treatments.

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Sleep Apnea Definition

According to the Sleep Medicine: Essentials and Review, sleep apnea in an adult is defined as the absence of oral and nasal airflow for at least 10 seconds in duration.

Sleep apnea is very common, affecting more than 4 of 100 people in the middle-aged population, and is more common than either diabetes or asthma.

There are 3 types of sleep apnea:

  • Central sleep apnea - occurs when respiratory centers in the brain fail to send the necessary messages to initiate breathing. Although the airway isn't blocked, the diaphragm and chest muscles stop moving, therefore you don't snore if you have central apnea episodes.
  • Obstructive sleep apnea - in which cessation of airflow is noted despite continued efforts to breath due to upper airway obstruction, therefore you will snore very loud and irregular.

Obstructive apnea affects almost 18 million people only in the United States, and is most often seen in patients with overweight problems.

A sign can be a thick neck, which is a measure of body weight. So, you may have a sign of sleep apnea if you have you collar size:

  • 17 inches or greater (in men)
  • 16 inches or greater (in women)

However, thin people can also have obstructive sleep apnea.

  • Mixed sleep apnea - consists of an initial central apnea followed by ineffective respiratory effort with obstructive apnea.

Severity of sleep apnea based on Apnea Hypopnea Index:

- mild sleep apnea - 5 to 15 AHI (events/hour)

- moderate sleep apnea - 16 to 30 AHI (events/hour)

- severe sleep apnea - greater than 30 AHI (events/hour)


Information on Sleep Apnea Causes

Several causes might possibly increase the likelihood of developing obstructive sleep apnea breathing disorder, such as:

For more information about risk factors and causes, see Causes of Sleep Apnea.


Information on Sleep Apnea Symptoms

Signs of sleep apnea that should worry you or your doctor include:

For more information about apnea symptoms, see Symptoms of Sleep Apnea.


Information on Sleep Apnea Side Effects

Common side effects of sleep apnea include:

Information on Sleep Apnea Diagnosis

Before going to the doctor or sleep apnea specialist and ask about your sleep problem, you might want to try these tests:
Because clinical and physical examination is not enough to diagnose the severity of sleep apnea, a sleep study is required.

Information on Sleep Apnea Treatment

The goal of treating sleep apnea is to improve your sleep quality, relieving excessive daytime sleepiness, enhancing your quality of life, and preventing the long-term heart problems of your untreated sleep disorder.

There are a variety of treatments for sleep apnea, including:

  • Natural cure for sleep apnea - I strongly believe that behavioural treatments have significant advantages and should be explored early in patients with sleep disorders.
  • Moreover, some natural remedies do not carry the health risks or side effects of sleeping pills, and they are always welcome. Here are some examples:
  • avoidance of alcohol and sedative medications
  • stop smoking
  • sleep hygiene
  • diet and exercises
  • avoiding the supine position
  • Weight reduction - People who are obese are at greater risk of developing sleep apnea than people who are a healthy weight for their height. People with a BMI of 30 or more are usually considered obese.

If you are in this situation, the next strategies may help you:

Other relevant treatments:

  • Positional therapy - Not sleeping on your back may help if your apnea occurs only in that position, and can be achieved with positional training or with Rematee products.
  • Medication for sleep apnea - a large number of medications are used in the treatment of a variety of sleep disorders, however, they must be prescribed by your doctor.For sleep apnea, these medications might help:
  • Acetazolamide
  • Theophylline 

Upper airway surgery, such as:

Positive Airway Pressure, which is the most effective therapy:

Sleep Apnea Questionnaire

Some more interesting pages for you to check out:



› Information on Sleep Apnea
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