Sleep apnea is a civilizational disease that affects five to eight percent of the population. “Simply put, it’s a condition where breathing stops for more than 10 seconds during sleep, and it happens repeatedly throughout the night. Usually, to start breathing, it is necessary to wake up for a short time, the so-called awakening from sleep occurs. explains pulmonologist MUDr. Ľubica Schutová, from the Hospital in Bánovce nad Bebravou
Sleep apnea syndrome occurs up to twice as often in men as in women, and doctors note the majority of cases in the age group of 40 to 50 years. It often appears in menopausal women as well. “One of the biggest risk factors is obesity. Accumulated fat in the neck area can compress the airway during sleep and restrict breathing. In addition, enlarged tonsils, smoking, high blood pressure, drinking alcohol or using sedatives are also a problem.” says the doctor.
During sleep, the muscles in our body are relaxed, their tension decreases, and the surrounding tissues can thus more easily cause pressure on the airways.
A typical symptom of sleep apnea is loud snoring that changes in intensity and is interrupted by an apnoeic pause without a breath, during which there is complete silence. “The disease affects not only sleep, but also the waking phase. Patients tend to be significantly tired, as their sleep is of poor quality, they may even fall into microsleep. They wake up with a dry mouth or a headache, then they have difficulty concentrating during the day, have trouble maintaining attention, and are nervous. However, sleep apnea is not only unpleasant, but also dangerous in the long run. It can be a sign of the development of diseases of the cardiovascular system, because sudden drops in the concentration of oxygen in the blood are a burden on the heart and blood vessels.” points out Dr. Schutová.
