Apnea
Apnea is a medical term for pause or sudden stoppage in breathing. Apnea can occur to people of all ages and the causes depend on the type of apnea they have.
There are various kinds of apnea. The types and their causes are:
- obstructive sleep apnea- because of obstruction in airway passage.
- central apnea- the area of the brain that facilitates breathing doesn't function properly.
- mixed apnea- both mixture of obstructive and central apnea.
- Sleep apnea- the most common form of apnea that people suffer with.
Sleep apnea is caused by factors such as temporary relaxation of throat muscles narrowing the airways, enlarged tonsils, the shape of head or neck, nasal congestion, obesity, smoking and excessive consumption of alcohol.
Apnea can cause high blood pressure because of low supply of oxygen in blood, liver and heart problems, type 2 diabetes and complete respiratory failures.