We equate sleep with rest and rejuvenation.
However, sleep apnea patients often find restful sleep elusive.
The term sleep apnea refers to a disorder where breathing stops completely for over ten seconds while sleeping.
This interrupts sleep and causes feelings of drowsiness and lack of energy during daytime.
During sleep, breathing should continue in an uninterrupted manner for the body to function normally.
In sleep apnea patients, breathing stops many times during the night - as many as four to five hundred times each night.
In most cases, breathing is interrupted for half a minute.
At that point, the patient wakes up with a start and often, with a loud snort.
He or she then begins to breathe again.
Subsequently, the person drifts off to sleep and the cycle repeats itself.
Obviously, if this pattern is continued throughout the night, restful sleep is impossible.
There are two basic types of sleep apnea.
The more common one is called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
Here, the breathing interruption is caused by throat tissues blocking the airway.
The other type is called central sleep apnea (CSA).
In this case, parts of the brain responsible for controlling breathing fail to send signals to the muscles involved in the breathing process, which results in interrupted breathing.
The number of people with central sleep apnea is estimated to be only about ten percent of the total number of apnea sufferers.
This condition affects people of both sexes and can occur at any age.
However, it has been observed that sleep apnea tends to be more common in middle aged men who consume alcohol and are overweight.
One of the most common symptoms of apnea is daytime drowsiness.
While apnea is certainly not the only cause of daytime sleepiness, it is a leading cause.
It is said to be the real culprit behind many road accidents.
Sleepiness arises because of two factors.
First, interrupted sleep reduces the total time spent sleeping.
And secondly, constant interruptions to sleep results in an inability to enter and sustain deep sleep.
The latter is highly damaging because many restorative body processes take place during deep sleep.
Lack of such sleep can cause many health problems.
While attempting to confirm or deny the presence of sleep apnea, the doctor will do a physical examination of the throat region to look for possible obstructions.
He will also look into the patient's medical history and may do a sleep study called polysomnography.
This involves sleeping in a specialized laboratory so that various physical indicators can be measured during sleep.
These indicators include airflow, stages of sleep (light sleep, REM sleep, deep sleep, etc), blood oxygen levels, heart rate and respiratory effort, among other parameters.
Both alcohol and tranquilizers can worsen sleep apnea symptoms and doctors usually ask patients to avoid them.
The patient may be advised to lose weight since excess weight is a contributor to this condition.
Unfortunately, the problem can return if the patient gains back the weight he once lost.
Mechanical ventilation is sometimes prescribed for patients with severe sleep apnea.
This involves using what is called a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine that delivers air into the airways.
The air pressure keeps the airways open and prevents obstruction.
Surgery is another treatment option.
Surgical removal of tissue from the top of the throat and rear of the mouth helps.
The surgeon may remove the soft palate, portions of the uvula and the pharynx.
Over half the patients operated upon report significant improvement in their sleep apnea.
Inserting a tube into the trachea to keep the airway open is another surgical option to treat sleep apnea.
However, this can result in infections in the region.
In addition, the air that reaches the lungs will be unfiltered and will not have sufficient moisture content.
Hence this is used only in cases where the patient has life-threatening heart conditions and does not respond to any other treatment.
Sleep apnea can usually be controlled by adopting lifestyle changes, using ventilation treatment, drugs or surgery.
Maintaining the right weight and avoiding alcohol can go a long way towards dealing with this condition.