_{What is Sleep Apnea?
IIH and Sleep Apnea
What Is Sleep Apnea?
What is CPAP?}

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Sleep apnea (AP-ne-ah) is a common disorder in which you have one or more pauses in breathing or shallow breaths while you sleep.

Breathing pauses can last from a few seconds to minutes. They often occur 5 to 30 times or more an hour. Typically, normal breathing then starts again, sometimes with a loud snort or choking sound.

Sleep apnea usually is a chronic (ongoing) condition that disrupts your sleep. You often move out of deep sleep and into light sleep when your breathing pauses or becomes shallow.

This results in poor sleep quality that makes you tired during the day. Sleep apnea is one of the leading causes of excessive daytime sleepiness.
National Institutes of Health

Sleep apnea is when you have one or more pauses in breathing or shallow breaths while you sleep. These pauses can last from anything from seconds to minutes. They can happen at least 5 times up to 30 times an hour, then normal breathing resumes signalled with a loud snorting or choking sound. It usually is a chronic and ongoing condition that disrupts your sleep. Your sleep quality suffers and you can find yourself tired during the day.

There are several treatments to help, such as lifestyle changes like diet, alcohol consumption and nasal sprays. An oral appliance to be used at night when you sleep, can also help and be made for you by a Dentist or Orthodontist which keeps your airways open by adjusting your jaw.

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure or CPAP is a device that consists of a mask that goes over your mouth or your mouth and nose. It blows air into your throat gently. It works because the air is adjusted so that it's just enough to stop the airways from becoming narrowed or blocked during sleep.

For more information on sleep apnea and the CPAP device go to WebMD:Recognizing and Treating Sleep Apnea

To read more about this condition here are the links:

Helpguide.org

British Snoring & Sleep Apnoea Association

nhlbi.nih.gov