Sleep Apnea
topic
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the partial or complete obstruction of the upper airway during sleep — producing repetitive breathing cessations (apneas) lasting 10–120 seconds, oxygen desaturation, sympathetic nervous system activation, cortisol spikes, and micro-arousal from each event — occurring at frequencies from mild (5–14 events/hour) to severe (30+ events/hour) and producing chronic fragmentation of all sleep stages, particularly slow-wave and REM sleep. It is associated with hypertension, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cognitive impairment, and depression.
Role
Sleep apnea is the single most clinically significant undiagnosed sleep disorder in the adult population — with approximately 80% of cases undiagnosed, making it the most impactful treatable health condition that most people carrying it have never been evaluated for. The majority of affected individuals do not know they have it because they do not witness their own breathing, and their primary complaints (excessive daytime sleepiness, morning headaches, non-restorative sleep, cognitive difficulties) are attributed to lifestyle rather than to a diagnosable and treatable condition. CPAP treatment, when properly fitted and used, typically produces dramatic improvements in all of these symptoms within days of initiation.