Sleep Apnea Statistics Show Much Less Than 2% Victims Are Treated - Ignorance Or Indifference?

By Author: John Cory
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Sleep apnea is whenever you encounter one or much more pauses in breathing (apnea) or abnormally low or shallow breathing (hypopnea) while sleeping. These pauses might last for seconds or upto couple of minutes & might occur as couple of as 5 times to upto 30 times (or much more) within the length of one hour. Sleep apnea statistics demonstrate that approximately 20% adults are victims, however only 10% of these are diagnosed.

Though a standard disorder, it often goes undiagnosed due to the not enough recognizable symptoms. This is one of the reasons why most people who endure from sleep apnea do not realize that they have this problem. The lack of obvious symptoms & the truth that it occurs only while asleep, also makes it difficult for a doctor to detect it during routine examinations. A family member or bed partner would be most likely to recognize this condition, since an episode of sleep apnea might typically end with choking sound or a snort before normal breathing resumes.

Sleep apnea might be of three types: Obstructive, Central or Complex - which is a combination of the other two types.

Obstructive ...
... sleep apnea, the most typical form, is caused by the collapse or blockage of the walls of soft tissue in the airway, at the level of the throat. Hence, one of the most evident signs of OSA is snoring caused by air squeezing through the narrow collapsed airway. OSA affects an estimated 4% of men & 2% of women, with men much more likely to develop this condition before the age of 50. The risk equalizes after age 50 & is much more common among obese individuals. 30 - 50% heart disease patients & 60% of stroke patients are noted to have OSA.

Central sleep apnea is the much less common form & occurs when the imbalance in the brain stops it from sending signals or sends incorrect ones to the muscles that control breathing. This could be seen in people who suffer from certain medical conditions or might be on some kind of medication. If it's not related to any other disease, it is called Idiopathic central sleep apnea.

The most frequent complaint among people experiencing any form of apnea is daytime sleepiness & fatigue. Sleep deprivation might also lead to lack of concentration, increased chances of hypertension, poor reflexes & raised risk of accidents. An occurrence of apnea lowers the level of oxygen in the blood and in extreme instances, if the apnea is long enough to cause severe lack of oxygen, it might result in brain damage or even sudden death.

Sleep apnea could be discovered by a polysomnography or 'sleep study'. A different is oximetry which measures the heart beat rate & oxygen content in blood & analyzes the data for signs of reduction in blood oxygen levels. Once detected, there are various treatment methods including both surgical & non surgical options, however very couple of undergo treatment which is surprising considering the adverse effects this condition might have ... the least of which is a satisfying night's sleep!
This article is a general introduction to this topic and if you need more information click Sleep Apnea Statistics or you can find further articles on this topic here Sleep Apnea Tests. Rojie M. Moody is a professional writer that helps finishing this article.