Dangers of Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea might be the quiet culprit of many chronic illnesses that effect millions. Snoring has long been a nuisance or, sometimes, comical problem that a spouse brings to a marriage. In reality, snoring and a poor night’s sleep can be a sign of a much greater problem: sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea literally means, "without breath during sleep." Clinically, this means that patients are actually stopping their breathing pattern periodically throughout the night. These episodes are brief, and happen before the body protectively wakes up enough to restart the breathing pattern. This leads to several concerns: