1. What is a sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which there are repeated interruptions in the breathing of a person while sleeping.
2. What are different types of sleep apnea?
There are three different types of sleep apnea: (1) obstructive sleep apnea (2) central sleep apnea and (3) complex sleep apnea syndrome.
3. What are the causes of sleep apnea?
The causes of sleep apnea may include: (1) muscular changes in the airway muscle leading to blockage, (2) excessive fat deposition and tissue growth in the airway tissues and (3) faulty breathing control/regulation by the brain.
4. What are the characteristic symptoms of sleep apnea?
The characteristic symptoms of sleep apnea are loud snoring, repeated interruptions in breathing while sleeping, dry mouth, headache in morning, air gasping during sleep, loss of concentration in daytime, irritability, etc.
5. How is obstructive sleep apnea different from central sleep apnea?
Obstructive sleep apnea is caused by the blockage in the air passage by throat muscles and upper palate tissue. In contrast, central sleep apnea is caused when the brain is unable to send a signal to breathing muscles for relaxation while sleeping.