The condition 
causes the actual cessation of breathing during sleep. It has two main causes which have led to two distinct varieties of the disease. The most common is known as obstructive sleep apnea and is caused in the throat when soft palate tissue collapses, momentarily blocking the airway and causing the patient to emit a choking-like sound. Apnea is often confused with snoring because the sounds are not dissimilar even though snoring is the sound of breathing when asleep.
The other type of apnea is called central apnea and occurs when the respiratory centre of the brain forgets to send a message to the lungs to breath. This again causes a temporary stopping of breathing which causes patients to choke and splutter. Although both forms of the condition are caused by different malfunctions, they can both be very serious and have long-term and even fatal consequences.
Apnea can often be one of the main causes of anxiety and stress as a lack of good sleep causes the body to work much harder without sufficient rest. This can also cause many children to under perform at school and can cause sever lack of concentration. More worryingly though is the fact that both kinds of apnea can put a lot of strain on the heart which can even cause fatal heart attacks.
Both apneas can be treated in different ways. Central apnea may need more medical advice and medication but obstructive apnea can usually be treated with an appliance fitted at a Leeds dentist. If you are concerned or thin you may have sleep apnea then make an appointment to see a dentist as soon as possible and get your sleeping patterns back to normal.
Tags: sleep apnea
