- Personal Injury
- Auto Accident
- Class Action
- Debt Harassment
- Insurance Disputes
- Investment Fraud
- Labor Laws
- Alien Certification
- Assault & Battery
- Business Mergers
- Civil Rights
- Constructive Discharge
- Covenant not to Compete
- Defamation of Character
- Disability Discrimination
- Employee Retirement Act
- Employment Torts
- Failure to Promote
- False Imprisonment
- Family Medical Leave Act
- Farm Labor
- Florida Civil Rights Act
- Hostile Work Enviroment
- Hourly Wage Law
- Job Hazards
- Anemia
- Anxiety Disorder
- Arrhythmia
- Arthritis
- Atrial Fibrillation
- Brain Tumor
- Bursitis
- Chronic Pain
- Coronary Artery Disease
- Dangers of Heat Exposure
- Dehydration
- Depression
- Diabetes
- Fatigue
- Glaucoma
- Hallucination
- Headaches
- Heart Attack
- Heat Rash
- High Blood Pressure
- Hypoglycemia
- Low Blood Pressure
- Meningitis
- Menopause
- Obesity
- PAT
- Peptic Ulcer Disease
- Pregnancy
- Sleep Apnea
- Stress
- Stroke
- TMJ Disorder
- Trigeminial Neuralgia
- Ventricular Ectopic Beat
- Ventricular Tachycardia
- Visual Disturbances
- Job Reductions
- Labor Organization
- Medicare
- Negligent Hiring
- Negligent Retention
- Negligent Supervision
- Pregnancy Discrimination
- Race Discrimination
- Religious Discrimination
- Sarbanes Oxley
- Sexual Harassment
- Workforce Diversity
- Maritime Admiralty
- Mass Torts
- Medical Malpractice
- Nursing Home
- Product Liability
- Sinkholes
- Social Security
- Spinal Cord Injury
- Toxic Mold
- Trucking Accident
- Workers' Compensation
- Wrongful Death
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a well-known condition where a person's breathing is either interrupted or very shallow during sleep. Stoppage in breathing can be as brief as a few seconds to minutes at once. This can happen between five and 30 times per hour, and sometimes more. Then, normal breathing resumes, occasionally accompanied by a loud grunt or choking sound.
Sleep apnea is typically a chronic disorder that disturbs your sleep at least three times per week. Usually, you will transition from heavy sleep to light sleep when your breathing comes to a halt or becomes shallow. A poor night's sleep will contribute to being overtired during the day, and sleep apnea is one of the leading causes of this.
Physicians usually have difficulty diagnosing sleep apnea because it is almost impossible to indentify during routine checkups, and nothing will be revealed via a drug test either. Most people who suffer from sleep apnea are unaware that they have the condition because they are not fully conscious when sleep is interrupted. A family member or someone sharing a bed with you may be the first to realize the irregularities in your sleep patterns.
The most common form of sleep apnea is called obstructive sleep apnea, meaning the trachea (airway) collapses or is blocked while sleeping. This obstruction will likely lead to lighter breathing than usual and other changes in respiration. When the airway is not open to capacity, air that manages to get through can produce loud snoring. People who are overweight are more prone to obstructive sleep apnea, but it can affect anyone regardless of size.
Central sleep apnea does not occur as frequently as obstructive sleep apnea, but it happens when the person's brain fails to send the proper signals to the respiratory muscles. In other words, your body's involuntary breathing mechanism does not function correctly, and your body may wake you up as a way of telling you that something is wrong. Central sleep apnea often goes hand in hand with obstructive sleep apnea, but it can also occur on its own. Snoring is not usually associated with central sleep apnea.
If sleep apnea goes untreated, it can:
- Heighten a person's risk for hypertension, heart attack, stroke, obesity, and diabetes.
- Increase a person's chances of developing an irregular heartbeat.
- Contribute to occupational or driving accidents.
Treatment for sleep apnea may involve changes in lifestyle, mouthpieces, breathing devices, and/or surgery.