Sleep apnea is a fairly common disorder that manifests itself as occasional breathing pauses or even just shallower breaths during sleep. Each of these episodes may last for only a few seconds, or they may last for several minutes. A person who suffers from sleep apnea may experience these pauses in breathing anywhere from 5 to 30 times in the space of an hour. The breathing usually goes back to normal, although it may be accompanied by a sudden snort or the sound of choking.

In most patients, sleep apnea is usually a chronic disorder that can occur 3 nights or more during the course of a week. The person afflicted often moves between periods of deep and light sleep with every pause or shallowness of breathing, causing a general deterioration in the quality of sleep. For this reason, most sleep apnea sufferers tend to feel sleepy or tired during the course of their day. Sleep apnea has in fact been linked to excessive drowsiness during the day.

Since sleep apnea cannot generally be detected when the patient isn’t sleeping, the condition is often hard for doctors to diagnose. Sleep apnea is also not detectable with blood tests. This is why most sleep apnea sufferers are not even aware of the condition until it is brought to their attention by a spouse or a family member.

There are actually two major types of sleep apnea, with obstructive sleep apnea being the most common one. The most frequent cause of this condition is a collapse or blockage of the airway while the patient is asleep. It is this obstruction of the air passages that causes shallowness or pauses in breathing. The action of air as it makes its way past the blocked air passage causes the loud snoring or snorting sounds. While it is most often overweight people who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, the condition can occur in virtually anyone.

The other form of sleep apnea is called central sleep apnea, and it is far less common. This condition occurs when the part of the brain responsible for controlling breathing does not communicate properly with the muscles that control breathing. The patient then actually does not breathe during these periods. While central sleep apnea usually happens along with obstructive sleep apnea, it may also occur on its own. In most cases of central sleep apnea, the patient typically does not snore.

When left untreated, sleep apnea can cause a number of health risks, such as an increase in the chances of the patient developing hypertension, the increased risk of heart attacks and stroke, an increase in the propensity for obesity, and increased diabetes risk. It may also make the patient susceptible to heart failure.