Diseases

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

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Obstructive sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder. It causes breathing to repeatedly stop and start during sleep. ... This type of apnea occurs when your throat muscles intermittently relax and block your airway during sleep. A noticeable sign of obstructive sleep apnea is snoring.

SYMPTOMS

Excessive daytime sleepiness.
Loud snoring.
Observed episodes of breathing cessation during sleep.
Abrupt awakenings accompanied by gasping or choking.
Awakening with a dry mouth or sore throat.
Morning headache.
Difficulty concentrating during the day.

CAUSES

Sleep apnea has many different possible causes. In adults, the most common cause of obstructive sleep apnea is excess weight and obesity, which is associated with soft tissue of the mouth and throat. During sleep, when throat and tongue muscles are more relaxed, this soft tissue can cause the airway to become blocked.