Mayo Clinic Discovers New Type Of Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnoea is a common sleep disorder affecting men, women and children in all age group. Apnea means no breathing, so sleep apnoea means pauses in breathing during sleep. The airway becomes blocked and breathing stops repeatedly during sleep. During an apnoea, the oxygen level in the blood falls. If the condition is severe enough, pulmonary hypertension may develop leading to right-sided heart failure. Those who are obese are definitely at risk. Weight management and avoiding alcohol and sedatives at bedtime may relieve sleep apnoea in some individuals. If these measures are unsuccessful in stopping sleep apnoea, continuous positive airway pressure, a form of mechanical breathing assistance that involves the use of a specially-designed mask worn over the nose or nose and mouth at night may be prescribed.