The document discusses sleep apnea, defining it as a potentially serious sleep disorder where breathing stops and starts repeatedly. It describes the main types as obstructive, central, and complex sleep apnea. Risk factors include being overweight, having a recessed chin, enlarged tonsils, or a thick neck. Signs include loud snoring, witnessed breathing pauses, and daytime sleepiness. Diagnosis involves physical exams and polysomnography. Treatment options presented are lifestyle changes, continuous positive airway pressure devices, dental devices, and surgery.

1. UNIVERSIDAD TECNICA DE MACHALA
ACADEMIC UNIT OF CHEMICAL
SCIENCES AND HEALTH
MEDICINE SCHOOL
ENGLISH
SLEEP APNEA
STUDENTS
William Cruz
Kevin Herrera
Jorge Pacheco
Angie Chamba
Sonia Quijilema
TEACHER:
Mgs. Barreto Huilcapi Lina Maribel
CLASS:
EIGHTH SEMESTER ‘’A’’
Machala, El Oro
2018

2. Sleep Apnea
Definition
Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder, in which breathing stops and starts again
and again. You may suffer from sleep apnea if you snore loudly and you feel tired even
after a full night of sleep.
The main types of sleep apnea are the following:
 Obstructive sleep apnea, the most common form, which occurs when the muscles of
the throat relax.
 Central sleep apnea, which occurs when the brain does not send correct signals to
the muscles that control breathing.
 Complex sleep apnea syndrome, also called "central apnea of emergent sleep",
which occurs when someone suffers from obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep
apnea.

3. Etiology
When you sleep, all the muscles of the body relax more. This includes the muscles that help
keep the throat open so that air can flow into the lungs.
Normally, the throat remains sufficiently open during sleep to allow air passage. Some
people have a narrower throat. When the muscles in the upper part of the throat relax
during sleep, the tissues close and block the airway. This arrest of breathing is called apnea.
Harsh snoring is a warning sign of AOS. Snoring is caused by air that drains through the
narrowed or blocked airway. Although not all people who snore suffer from sleep apnea.
Other factors can also increase the risk:
 A lower jaw that is short compared to the maxilla
 Certain forms of the roof of the mouth (palate) or the airway that cause the latter to
collapse more easily
 Neck or large collar, 17 inches (43 cm) or more in men and 16 inches (41 cm) or
more in women
 Large tongue that can retract and block the airway
 Obesity
 Tonsils and large adenoids that can block the airway
Signs and symptoms
The signs and symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea coincide,
making it more difficult to determine the type of apnea. Some of the most frequent signs
and symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea are:
 Strong snoring, which is usually more prominent in obstructive sleep apnea
 Episodes of cessation of breathing during sleep that is witnessed by another person
 Abrupt awakenings accompanied by shortness of breath, which probably indicates
central sleep apnea
 Waking up with a dry mouth or sore throat
 Headache in the morning
 Difficulty to stay asleep (insomnia)
 Excessive daytime sleepiness (hypersomnia)
 Attention problems

4.  Irritability
Diagnosis
The physical examination is:
 It will check your mouth, neck and throat.
 You may be asked about daytime sleepiness, sleep quality, and bedtime habits.
 You may need a polysomnogram to confirm OSA. This test can be done at home or
in a sleep laboratory.
Other tests that may be carried out include:
 Arterial blood gases
 Electrocardiography (ECG)
 Echocardiography
 Studies of thyroid function
Treatment
The treatment helps keep the airway open while you sleep so that your breathing does not
stop.
Lifestyle changes can relieve symptoms in people with mild sleep apnea, such as:
 Avoid alcohol or sleeping pills before bedtime (may worsen symptoms)
 Avoid sleeping on your back
 Lose excess weight
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices work best for the treatment of
obstructive sleep apnea in most people.
You put a mask on your nose or on your nose and mouth while you sleep.
The mask is connected by means of a hose to a small machine that stays next to your bed.
The machine pumps air under pressure through the hose and the mask into the airways
while you sleep. This helps keep the airway open.
It may take some time to get used to sleeping with CPAP therapy. Good control and
support of a sleep center can help overcome any problem in the use of CPAP.
Dental devices can help some people. You put them in your mouth while you sleep to keep
the jaw forward and the airway open.

5. Other treatments may be available, but there is little evidence that they work. It is best to
talk to a doctor who specializes in sleep problems before trying them.
Surgery may be an option for some people. It is often a last resort if other treatments did
not work and you have severe symptoms. The surgery can be used to:
 Remove extra tissue in the back of the throat.
 Correct problems of the structures of the face.
 Create an opening in the trachea to bypass blocked airways if there are physical
problems.
 Remove the tonsils and adenoids.
 Surgery may not completely cure obstructive sleep apnea and may have long-term
side effects.
Prevention
The prevention of sleep apnea is not always possible, although the different measures of
lifestyle changes can help: avoid alcohol, do not take sleeping pills, lose weight and avoid
obesity.
Bibliography
 American Academy of Sleep Medicine. International classification of sleep
disorders. Diagnostic and coding manual. 2nd ed. Westchester, Illinois: American
Academy of Sleep Medicine, 2005: 51.
 Iber C, Ancoli-Israel S, Chesson A, Quan SF for the American Academy of Sleep
Medicine. The AASM manual for the scoring of sleep and associated events: rules,
terminology and technical specifications. Westchester, Illinois: American Academy
of Sleep Medicine; 2007
 Ohayon MM, Guilleminault C, Priest RG, Caulet M. Snoring and breathing pauses
during sleep: telephone interview surrey of a United Kingdom population sample.
BMJ 1997; 314: 860-863