What is sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea refers to a temporary cessation of breathing for 10 seconds or more. This can occur dozens to hundreds of times a night, and patients may not easily notice it. Due to fragmented sleep and poor sleep quality, patients often experience daytime drowsiness, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating, which in turn affects their work and daily life quality.

Based on the different reasons for suspension, they can be divided into the following three categories:

I. Obstructive

During sleep, decreased muscle tone can cause airway obstruction and produce snoring. In severe cases, it can prevent airflow from entering the lungs, leading to a decrease in blood oxygen levels and causing respiratory arrest or even suffocation.

II. Central Type

Abnormal respiratory drive from the central nervous system leads to reduced chest and abdominal movement, resulting in cessation of airflow and reduced ventilation.

III. Mixed type

This means that there are symptoms of both obstructive and central sleep apnea.

According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine's classification of obstructive sleep apnea severity, each instance of apnea or weakened breathing lasting more than 10 seconds accompanied by a drop in blood oxygen saturation is recorded. A breathing apnea or weakening index of less than 5 times per hour is considered normal, 5 to 15 times is mild, 15 to 30 times is moderate, and more than 30 times is severe. In other words, even normal individuals may occasionally experience sleep apnea during sleep, but if the number of apneas per hour exceeds 5, it is considered a medical condition requiring active treatment to avoid long-term consequences.