When reviewing statistics with respect to sleep apnea the numbers, many times, tell the true story since statistics do not lie. However, before reviewing the numbers it may be best to first define sleep apnea.
Basically, sleep apnea may be considered the diagnosis when there is an obstruction of the airway which in turn causes an individual to stop breathing during sleep.
In connection with the disruption of breath, the heart also may stop functioning very briefly. If you were to review any number of medical journals, you'd find sleep apnea referred to as cessation of respiration.
If you want to define it in more down-to-earth terms then you'd merely state the victim stops breathing for a short period of time during his or her sleep.
However, in order to make matters crystal clear, this cessation of breathing can happen many times during the night. The preceding fact is why sleep apnea is such a serious disorder. Persons who acquire the sleep disorder are generally overweight.
Some other contributing factors include:
This leads us to define the most common type of sleep apnea as Obstructive sleep apnea. Additionally, the majority of the sleep apnea sufferers are men. This however doesn't infer women and children do not make up a fair population of persons who suffer from sleep apnea, because they do.
Once again, men comprised the largest number of persons suffering from the sleep disorder: seventy-four percent. The average age with respect to both genders who suffered from episodes of sleep apnea was forty-three years old and sixty-two percent of sleep apnea episodes occurred in patients between the age(s) of fifteen years of age; and fifty-nine years old.
It's estimated, for example, during the period from 2002 to 2003, eighteen million U.S. Citizens had a sleep apnea episode; however, approximately two to four percent of those sleep apnea events were undiagnosed by a medical practitioner.
Approximately, twelve thousand sufferers sought treatment in a hospital. Six percent were emergency cases and ninety-eight percent of sleep apnea victims required hospital stays ranging from one to two days.
Needless to say, the above-statistics paint a fairly grim picture. Many sleep apnea sufferers aren't even aware they have it. If your partner notices you cease breathing during the night and then resume again, it is important you consult your physician immediately.
Sleep apnea can be eliminated with the proper treatment. Leaving it go, can lead to other serious diseases which may be avoided if the sleep apnea is successfully treated.
The doctor will probably advise you take a test in order to determine if you have the disorder. This may be in the way of a sleep apnea machine you take home; or you may be advised to take the test at a sleep center. If severe sleep apnea is discovered when taking the home test, you will more than likely need to check into a sleep center to confirm the diagnosis.