What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)?

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About Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA):

OSA is the most common sleep-related breathing disorder.
People with OSA repeatedly stop and start breathing while they sleep.
OSA occurs when a blockage in your airway keeps air from moving through your windpipe while you’re asleep.
- The blockage and lack of airflow can cause your blood oxygen levels to drop, triggering a survival reflex in your brain that wakes you up just enough to breathe again.
- This happens off and on many times during sleep.
- While that reflex is key in keeping you breathing, it also disrupts your sleep.
When your breathing is reduced and you’re not taking in enough oxygen, it’s called hypopnea. If your breathing completely stops, it’s called apnea.
Snoring is one of the biggest symptoms of OSA.
Anyone at any age can have OSA. But it’s most common in middle-aged and older adults.
OSA has significant implications for cardiovascular health, mental illness, quality of life, and driving safety.
Treatment: Treatments for OSA are available.
- One treatment is a device that uses positive pressure to keep the airway open during sleep.
- Another option is a mouth piece to thrust the lower jaw forward during sleep.
- In some people, surgery might be an option too.

Q1: What is dementia?

Dementia is a general term for loss of memory, language, problem-solving and other thinking abilities that are severe enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia.

Source: Sleep apnea contributes to dementia in older adults