A member asked:

What could this be? i was speaking to my mom and she told me that when my dad is sleeping he takes deep breaths and the holds it for like 10 sec then he will try and get more air. he wakes up because he can't breath. now he does not eat late but he does d

3 doctors weighed in across 2 answers

This : This sounds like possible sleep apnea. Measure his neck. If it is big (40 cm or more) it is very likely sleep apnea. Have him see a local sleep specialist for evaluation and treatment.

Answered 10/3/2016

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A : A breath hold of 10 seconds or more during sleep is called apnea. Being overweight and drinking alcohol can make these worse. If the pauses happen frequently at night, there can be daytime symptoms, like sleepiness and irritability, as well as health complications. This is called obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (osa). There is testing that can determine if your dad has osa; these tests are usually ordered by sleep specialists. If the test shows that your dad has osa, there are specific treatments to help him sleep better and improve his health.

Answered 10/4/2016

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