What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)?

The most common type of sleep disordered breathing, Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition that is far more common than generally understood. First widely recognized in 1965, OSA is characterized by interruptions of breathing during sleep, usually accompanied by loud snoring. It owes its name to a Greek word, apnea, meaning "want of breath."

There are two types of sleep apnea: central and obstructive. Central sleep apnea occurs when the brain fails to send the appropriate signals to the breathing muscles to initiate respiration. OSA, which is far more common, occurs when air cannot flow into or out of the person's lungs because of blockage of the airways. Mixed sleep apnea is a combination of the two.

For people experiencing OSA, the number of involuntary breathing pauses or "apneic events" in a given night may be as high as 60 or more per hour, each lasting 10 seconds or longer. While these breathing pauses usually are accompanied by snoring, not everyone who snores has OSA.

The frequent interruption of restorative sleep often leads to excessive daytime sleepiness and may be associated with an early morning headache. Even worse, decreased oxygen levels in the blood can put stress on the body that can aggravate diabetes and high blood pressure, and can lead to abnormal heart rhythms, heart attacks or strokes.

If you think you might have OSA, click here to take our online Apnea Risk Survey.