Not much was known or researched before 1965 on Sleep Apnoea, before that it was just looked upon as a strange, but harmless phenomenon says a Leeds dentist. Charles Dickens must have read up on this; as he gave it to the `Fat-Boy` in the Pickwick Papers. The abnormality in the pattern of how we breathe occurs when we sleep, hence the name, and it is now connected to heart failure. It can occur for up to ten breaths, but there is still little known about why it happens. The throat muscles relax for the period of the attack and this causes the airflow to become blocked, which stops any air from being breathed in or out. Quite why it usually lasts around 10 seconds is what fascinates researchers most. There are two types of this abnormality, Apnoea which I have just described and Hypopnoea is where the blockage halves the amount of oxygen being taken in. This condition usually also lasts for around 10 seconds or breaths. The lack of oxygen makes the patient come out of a deeper sleep into a less deep sleep, and quite often this results in them waking up and restoring the breathing pattern back to its normal amount. The patient then relaxes back into their normal sleep pattern, and the whole thing starts again. The long term affects are a loss of memory and tiredness, road accidents have been linked to a loss of concentration caused by the constant awaking in patients. The heart is also affected according to recent research, and this has been known to cause heart attacks. If you think you may suffer from this breathing abnormality then you should see your doctor, and also tell your dentist as problems can occur if you ever have to go under a general anaesthetic.
Tags: sleep apnea
