Sleep apnea, a common, potentially dangerous condition, is often associated with loud, frequent snoring.  Sleep apnea can affect persons of any age or gender, but it is most common among overweight persons, middle aged men, and those older than 50 years. Persons with this disorder stop breathing for as long as 2 minutes while asleep.

     There are different kinds of sleep apnea, primarily obstructive, central, and mixed.  During obstructive sleep apnea, the muscles of the airway collapse.  As a result, even though the breathing muscles continue to work, no air can move through the air passage.  During Central sleep apnea, the breathing muscles themselves stop working.  Mixed sleep apnea begins with a loss of breathing effort but ends with symptoms of obstruction.

An episode of sleep apnea ends when the person wakes up slightly, gasps for air and begins breathing again.  The process may be repeated 40 times a night or more, disturbing the natural sleep pattern.  As a result, he or she often are extremely sleepy during the daytime and may fall asleep at inappropriate times, causing disruption of his or her personal and professional life.  Lack of adequate sleep also can cause anxiety and irritability and affect concentration and memory.  In addition, when the person stops breathing, the level of oxygen in his blood decreases, putting a strain on the heart.  High blood pressure and other heart problems may be associated with sleep apnea.

     It is difficult to pinpoint an exact cause of sleep apnea.  Factors that increase a person's risk for developing this disorder are obesity, obstruction of the nasal passages (such as allergic rhinitis), and hypothyroidism, among others.  Drinking alcohol before bedtime or smoking cigarettes also can worsen the condition.

     In addition to loud snoring and daytime sleepiness, other symptoms of sleep apnea are gasping and restlessness during sleep, impotence, and morning headache.  Your physician may perform some tests to rule out other disorders that may cause similar symptoms.  He or she also may refer you to a sleep center for an overnight sleep study.

The choice of treatment for sleep apnea depends upon each individual.  Your doctor may advise you to:

• Lose weight. For persons who are overweight, losing even as few as 20 pounds can reduce the severity of sleep apnea.  It is very difficult to lose weight and keep it off, but doing so can help you avoid further treatment.
• Sleep on your side.  For some people, this position greatly improves breathing as opposed to sleeping on the back.
• Quit smoking.  In addition, avoiding alcohol and medications, such as antihistamines and sleeping pills, before bedtime may prevent episodes of sleep apnea.