Obstructive Sleep Apnea Large tonsils/adenoids Large neck size (17 inches in men, 16 inches in women) Large tongue Obesity - especially an “apple” body shape Small or narrow airway A short lower jaw (compared to the upper jaw) Other structural abnormalities in the airway Central Sleep Apnea Heart failure Certain medicines, such as narcotic painkillers Stroke Brain infection Brainstem disorders Congenital disorders Keep reading
Central sleep apnea (CSA) is related to abnormalities in how the brain senses and responds to changes in oxygen and carbon dioxide while breathing. In CSA, the muscles that control breathing do not receive normal signals from the brain that tell them when to function. Central sleep apnea can be due to problems with the brainstem, which is responsible for our basic operations such as breathing, and may be seen in children or other individuals with certain congenital problems. Keep reading
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common type of sleep apnea. It is estimated that nearly one in 12 adults has OSA. OSA is especially common in people who are overweight, older, have diabetes, and have high blood pressure. However, anyone can have sleep apnea and as many as 20% of people with sleep apnea are not overweight. Once thought as mostly a men’s disorder, sleep apnea is now recognized to be common in women. The prevalence of sleep apnea increases in women after menopause. Keep reading
The word “apnea” derives from a Greek word meaning “no breathing.” Sleep apnea refers to a common and serious medical disorder where breathing during sleep stops for periods of 10 seconds or more repetitively over the night. In the mildest form, breathing interruptions are partial — these events are called “hypopneas”. Keep reading
"Didgeridoo" by "Bernard Spragg. NZ " is licensed under CC BY 2.0. In 2005, the British Medical Journal published a research study that made the American Thoracic Society International Conference “Top 5 Articles of the Year”, and since has remained a frequently talked about study that has also seemingly gained a cult following. In a randomized controlled research study, Dr. Keep reading
Type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea tend to go hand-in-hand Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are both very common, each affecting around 10% of adults in the United States. Unfortunately, T2DM and OSA often go hand-in-hand. It has been known for some time that there are a large number of people who have both conditions, although there is evidence that OSA is often undiagnosed. Keep reading
Key Stages in Memory Before addressing the role of sleep in memory, let’s review what goes into making memories and how the underlying brain activities that form memory can change over time. Problems in memory can mainly happen at three different stages: encoding, consolidation, and retrieval. Each stage has its own function and occurs within specific brain regions. Encoding refers to the first process when new information is received and stored. Keep reading
Over the years, my colleagues and I have had requests to prescribe oxygen for treating sleep apnea in patients who do not tolerate CPAP. This made some sense since some of the complications of sleep apnea are driven by a lack of oxygen during periods of apnea. However, there has been little research addressing the role of oxygen as a sleep apnea treatment. We therefore designed the Heart Biomarker Evaluation in Apnea Treatment (HeartBEAT) study. Keep reading
Obstructive sleep apnea is now the number one reason for performing adenotonsillectomy (surgical removal of the tonsils and adenoids) in children in the U.S. It is estimated that over 500,000 adenotonsillectomies are performed annually in children. While in general this procedure is considered low risk, there are known potential consequences include bleeding and blockage of the airway due to swelling in the immediate post-operative period. Keep reading
Researchers and providers continually explore how treatments for sleep apnea may impact an individual’s quality of life. One current debate regarding treatment is the influence of positive airway pressure (PAP) devices and other sleep apnea treatments on body weight. On the one hand, treatment for sleep apnea can improve one’s quality of sleep, which can then lead to improved alertness, energy and mood. Keep reading
