What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS)?

Posted on June 26, 2008 in Latest News

There are many people whose throat passages are not broad enough to pass air without obstruction during sleep and this results in a condition which is called Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS). Under normal conditions, during sleep, when the upper parts of our thoracic muscles relax, there is still enough passage left for the air to flow freely into our lungs. This is not so in case of people suffering from sleep apnea syndrome.

As a result of upper airway passage block, in specific sleep intervals the phenomenon of breathlessness occurs a minimum of 5 times with each session lasting for 10 minutes or more. So, in their attempt to get into normal breathing rhythm, after each session of breathlessness, the deep sleep stage gets disturbed and this results in ‘fragmented sleep’ that make people wake up feeling ‘drowsy’ which continues throughout the day.

Symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS):
Listed below are the symptoms of OSAS:

People Prone to OSAS:
There are specific categories of people who have greater chances of developing OSAS. They are:

Diseases Associated with OSAS:
Last few decades of research has highlighted close association of OSAS with cardiovascular disease. Listed below are some of the disease conditions:

Treatment for OSAS:
It is most advisable to consult your physician and follow the treatments prescribed by him. But here are the following options that you may check along with your physician’s advice:

So, next time you hear anyone complaining of disturbed or fragmented sleep you know what advice you have to offer.

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