Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a serious,
potentially life-threatening condition that is far
more common than generally understood. First
described in 1965, sleep apnea is a breathing
disorder characterized by brief interruptions of
breathing during sleep. It owes its name to a
Greek word, apnea, meaning "want of breath".
Obstructive Sleep Apnea occurs when air cannot
flow into or out of the person's nose or mouth
although efforts to breathe continue.
In a given night, the number of involuntary
breathing pauses or "apneic events" may be as
high as 20 to 60 or more per hour. These
breathing pauses are almost always accompanied
by snoring between apnea episodes, although not
everyone who snores has this condition.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea can also be
characterized by choking sensations. The
frequent interruption of deep, restorative sleep
often leads to excessive daytime sleepiness and
may be associated with an early morning
headache.
Early recognition and treatment of obstructive
sleep apnea is important because it may be
associated with irregular heartbeat, high blood
pressure, heart attack, and stroke.
Airway is open.
Air flows freely to lungs.
Airway collapses and
prevents air from getting
into the lungs.
Sleep patterns are
disrupted, resulting in
excessive sleepiness or
fatigue during the daytime.
What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
SLEEP DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES
Phone (866)768-0629 Fax (866)968-0642
We specialize in treating sleep disorders
and providing a good night's sleep!
The Sleep Center is
conveniently located near
Tustin Ave & 17th Street in
central Orange County
close to the
55, 5 & 22 Freeways.
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Quality sleep is essential to
our health. However many of
us take a good night's sleep
for granted, unaware that an
estimated 18 million
Americans suffer from a
frightening and potentially
life-threatening disorder
known as obstructive sleep
apnea (OSA).
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