Know More About Osa Or Obstructive Sleep Apnoea!

By Author: Alex Bowmann
Total Articles: 79
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Affected by the problem are one out of every 5 adults and 5 to 10 out of every 100 children in the US.
The body muscles relax when people fall asleep, these muscles includes those that helps in keeping the airway open thereby permitting air to enter the lungs. Normally, at this time, to let air continue to flow through the upper throat would still be sufficiently open. However, causing a temporary halting of breathing (usually 10 seconds) in people with OSA, the throat area actually becomes narrow or even closes when they inhale. Without even being aware of it, this would happen repeatedly in the night causing them to repeatedly awaken. In fact because of the air trying to get through the blocked or narrow airway is the snoring in OSA sufferers.
OSA - Causes and Risk Factors
For OSA to develop, given below are some of the possible causes:
# Obesity - Blocking it when the person is asleep, this can cause too much soft tissue in the area of the airway.
# Retrognathia
# Micrognathia
# Acromegaly (growth hormones over secretion)
# In women, collar/neck size of 16 or more inches ...
... and in men, 17 or more inches)
# Narrow throat
# Round head
# Brain injury
# Big overbite
# Down Syndroms, Pierre-Robin syndrome, or other birth defects that result in an enlarged jaw or tongue
# Growth/tumor in the airway
# Leading to upper airway congestion, a deviated septum
# Affecting the airway muscles, neuromuscular disorders
# Because of a neurological disorder, drugs or alcohol, reduced muscle tone
# Smoking
# Use of sedatives
Risk Factors
The chances of developing Obstructive Sleep Apnea increases with a yes answer to any of the following:
• In male – in comparison to females, males have a higher chance of developing the disorder
• If a woman is pregnant or have attained menopause
• They are more than 40 years of age
• Suffer from the problem of diabetes
• Are a Hispanic, Pacific Islander or African American
• Belong to the family where this condition runs genetically
• Regularly suffer from issues related to nasal congestion
• Are hypertensive
• OSA is a potential complication of this surgery, having had pharyngeal flap surgery done
Surgery More Convenient than CPAP Treatment
The next step is Obstructive Sleep Apnea Treatment, if a person is found to have OSA. Use of a nasal CPAP machine is the most common treatment meted out to OSA sufferers. When the person breathes in by increasing air pressure in his throat, this machine prevents collapse of the airway. However, finding it difficult to comply with it, a lot of users don't use the machine as often as they should.
Alex Bowmann is the author of this article. For further detail about osa and obstructive sleep apnoea please visit the website.