Define Sleep Apnea

Hypopnea is related to sleep apnea and is a part of the same family of sleep disorders.

Define sleep apnea. If sleep apnea is left untreated your breath may prevent hundreds of times during your sleep. The three types of sleep apnea are central apnea obstructive apnea and a mixture of central and obstructive apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea the more common form that occurs when throat muscles relax.

Sleep apnea is a disorder characterized by interrupted breathing that occurs while an individual is sleeping. Apnea is a Greek word that means want of breath The most common form of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea. Definition of Sleep Apnea.

Apnea that recurs during sleep and is caused especially by obstruction of the airway or a disturbance in the brains respiratory center Examples of sleep apnea in a Sentence. Sleep apnea is a common condition in the United States. A generally accepted definition of apnea is a temporary pause in breathing for 10 seconds or more.

If the brain does not send the signals needed to breathe the condition may be called central sleep apnea. It can occur when the upper airway becomes blocked repeatedly during sleep reducing or completely stopping airflow. The main types of sleep apnea are.

It can have serious negative effects on a persons quality of life and is thought to be considerably underdiagnosed in the United States. In obstructive sleep apnea the muscles of the soft palate around the base of the tongue and the uvula relax obstructing the airway. There may be a choking or snorting sound as breathing resumes.

4 A Apnea may last for 30 seconds or even longer. In hypopnea there is a decrease of airflow for at least 10 seconds in respirations a 30-percent reduction. A more detailed technical definition used for scoring apneas in sleep studies is provided below.