Obstructive sleep apnea: A Review

Obstructive Sleep apnea is the most common type of sleep apnea caused by complete or partial obstructions in the upper airway. It is characterized by repeated episodes of shallow or slow breathing during sleep, despite the effort to breathe, and is generally associated with a reduction in blood oxygen saturation. These episodes of reduced breathing, called "apneas" (literally, "without breathing"), usually last between 20 and 40 seconds. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common medical condition associated with considerable morbidity and is recognized and diagnosed more frequently. Patients with OSA are generally overweight and, in general, have a long history of excessive Russians and daytime sleepiness and associated obesity. The diagnosis is established with polysomnography (PSG), although the decision about who should be sent to a sleep laboratory must be individualized, especially for those patients whose main complaint is snoring. The most important factor in the pathogenesis of OSA is a narrow and flexible pharyngeal airway. Among the various treatment modalities available today, the most successful is the application of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) during sleep