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Conditions
Nervous system diseases
Geriatric sleep disorder
Obstructive sleep apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea

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Sleep apnea has two causes. It may be 'central' or 'obstructive'. Central apnea occurs as a disorder in the way the brain controls breathing. Obstructive sleep apnea is much more common and involves an anatomical blockage of the airway. Usually, the tongue blocks the airway, preventing the passage of air between the a sleep study is needed to diagnose particular type of sleep disorder.

Dr. Robert Ryan reviewed this

52 year experience in Dentistry

Is a type of:

Geriatric sleep disorder • Apnea

How long it usually lasts:

Chronic (lasts years to lifelong)

How common it is:

Common
Baby
0-2
Common
Preteen
6-13
Very common
Teenager
14-18
Very common
Young adult
19-40
Very common
Middle-aged adult
41-60
Very common

How it can usually be treated?

Can be cured with medical treatment

How is it usually diagnosed?

Requires diagnosis by a medical professional

Body locations

Neck (front)

Symptoms

Difficulty concentrating
Weight gain
Sleepiness
Restless (tossing and turning) sleep
Headache
Load more

Medications

Ratings show how effective doctors think these medications are at treating Obstructive sleep apnea
Theophylline

Procedures

Ratings show how effective doctors think these procedures are at treating Obstructive sleep apnea

Surgery

Sleep apnea surgery
Continuous positive airway pressure
Weight loss surgery

Other treatments

Oxygen supplementation

Tests

Creatinine
Thyroid stimulating hormone
Electrocardiogram
Sleep study
Igf 1 (somatomedin c)

Risk factors

Personal

Cigarette smoking

Related questions

A 48-year old asked:

What is obstructive sleep apnea?

5 doctor answers • 9 doctors weighed in

A 41-year old asked:

Is obstructive sleep apnea painful?

4 doctor answers • 14 doctors weighed in

A 44-year old asked:

How can I treat obstructive sleep apnea?

4 doctor answers • 12 doctors weighed in

A member asked:

Can you die from obstructive sleep apnea?

3 doctor answers • 7 doctors weighed in

A 47-year old asked:

How does obstructive sleep apnea impact health?

2 doctor answers • 8 doctors weighed in

A 38-year old asked:

What are the options for obstructive sleep apnea ?

4 doctor answers • 8 doctors weighed in

A 40-year old asked:

Is there any medication for obstructive sleep apnea?

4 doctor answers • 7 doctors weighed in

A member asked:

Can I die from obstructive sleep apnea if I ignore it?

4 doctor answers • 8 doctors weighed in

A 34-year old asked:

Does obstructive sleep apnea usually cause many symptoms?

3 doctor answers • 6 doctors weighed in

A 35-year old asked:

How effective are cpaps at treating obstructive sleep apnea?

5 doctor answers • 12 doctors weighed in

A 18-year old male asked:

Which is worse: obstructive sleep apnea or central sleep apnea?

4 doctor answers • 7 doctors weighed in

A member asked:

Will obstructive sleep apnea stop me from going on my vacation?

5 doctor answers • 17 doctors weighed in

A member asked:

Do lots of people get obstructive sleep apnea, or is it unusual?

5 doctor answers • 13 doctors weighed in

A 30-year old asked:

How to tell if my son possibly still has obstructive sleep apnea?

4 doctor answers • 7 doctors weighed in

A 36-year old asked:

Is there anyway to successfully eliminate obstructive sleep apnea?

3 doctor answers • 11 doctors weighed in

A 39-year old asked:

Possible obstructive sleep apnea --who do I see to get a diagnosis?

3 doctor answers • 5 doctors weighed in

A 40-year old asked:

How come I have obstructive sleep apnea, but nobody else in the family has it?

4 doctor answers • 9 doctors weighed in

A 37-year old asked:

Is obstructive sleep apnea curable?

4 doctor answers • 14 doctors weighed in

A 41-year old asked:

How will cpap help my obstructive sleep apnea?

5 doctor answers • 13 doctors weighed in

A 39-year old female asked:

What are some reasons a 2.5 year old could have non obstructive sleep apnea?

4 doctor answers • 5 doctors weighed in

A 51-year old male asked:

What are "periodic breathing" and "AHI" in regards to Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

4 doctor answers • 5 doctors weighed in

A 25-year old male asked:

Can mild obstructive sleep apnea cause mild to moderate right ventricular enlargement? Normal function just enlarged. Left is normal

3 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in

A 39-year old male asked:

Diagnosed with mild obstructive sleep apnea and currently on APAP. The machine shows that I get 1-4 central apneas per hour each lasting 10-23 seconds on average. Is this normal?

1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in

A 45-year old asked:

What are treatments for obstructive sleep apnea?

4 doctor answers • 11 doctors weighed in

A 36-year old asked:

Can obstructive sleep apnea cause dementia?

4 doctor answers • 10 doctors weighed in

A 48-year old asked:

Why do neurologists handle obstructive sleep apnea?

3 doctor answers • 9 doctors weighed in

A member asked:

Do doctors see a lot of patients with obstructive sleep apnea?

4 doctor answers • 7 doctors weighed in

A 44-year old asked:

What are the benefits and risks of obstructive sleep apnea surgery?

4 doctor answers • 7 doctors weighed in

A 25-year old male asked:

Can mild obstructive sleep apnea cause rv enlargement in the heart?

4 doctor answers • 6 doctors weighed in

A member asked:

My mom gets obstructive sleep apnea, so am I likely to get it later?

3 doctor answers • 9 doctors weighed in

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