About Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA):
- OSA is the most common sleep-related breathing disorder.
- People with OSA repeatedly stop and start breathing while they sleep.
- OSA occurs when a blockage in your airway keeps air from moving through your windpipe while you’re asleep.
- The blockage and lack of airflow can cause your blood oxygen levels to drop, triggering a survival reflex in your brain that wakes you up just enough to breathe again.
- This happens off and on many times during sleep.
- While that reflex is key in keeping you breathing, it also disrupts your sleep.
- When your breathing is reduced and you're not taking enough oxygen, it's called hypopnea. If your breathing completely stops, it's called apnea.
- Snoring is one of the biggest symptoms of OSA.
- Anyone at any age can have OSA. But it's most common in middle-aged and older adults.
- OSA has significant implications for cardiovascular health, mental illness, quality of life, and driving safety.
- Treatment: Treatments for OSA are available.
- One treatment is a device that uses positive pressure to keep the airway open during sleep.
- Another option is a mouthpiece to thrust the lower jaw forward during sleep.
- In some people, surgery might be an option too.
