What is Sleep Apnea?

A large percentage of the population has a dangerous and sometimes fatal sleep disorder known as sleep apnea. This condition is known as the silent killer.

This ongoing stimulation of the brain and the muscles of the upper airway prevents the body from achieving the deep slumber it needs night after night. Patients may have severe daytime headaches and lethargy for years before receiving the diagnosis and necessary therapy for their sleep apnea because the condition doesn’t always fully awaken sufferers at night.

The hallmark of sleep apnea is persistent, unconscious breathing pauses. These disruptions, or so-called apneic episodes, can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes and happen up to 30 times in a single hour. Apneic occurrences put the body at risk because they cause the bloodstream’s oxygen levels to drop while its carbon dioxide, or CO2, levels rise. The brain is then prompted by this imbalance to open the airway fast, which results in loud snores and partial awakening.