What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)?.

Apnea = cessation of breathing

Literally, apnea means the cessation of breathing during sleep due to the airway being obstructed. While we are sleeping, our tongue, jaw, uvula, and soft palate as well the muscles surrounding our airway relax, which causes crowding of the space at the back of the throat and reduces the calibre of the airway. This in turn reduces the amount of air flowing through in an attempt to deliver oxygen to your vital organs via your lungs.

When air is flowing through the narrowed airway, it does so with a higher velocity causing vibration – snoring.

The obstruction is normally worse when sleeping supine and/or during REM sleep.