What is OSA?
OSA stands for obstructive sleep apnea
One of the most common sleep disorders in people with sleeping difficulties is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
OSA is diagnosed with a test called an overnight sleep study that records the activity of the body during sleep.
A sleep study can provide doctors with important information about a person’s sleep cycle, including how often and how long their breathing pauses (called apnea).
One of the most important measurements is a person’s oxygen level during the different stages of sleep. When the level falls below what the body needs to function normally, it is called oxygen desaturation. This not only tells the doctor how severe OSA is but is also an indication of future health concerns.
What Is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when your throat muscles relax and block your airway during sleep. When this happens, breathing can stop for anywhere from 10 seconds to over a minute in some cases.1
People with OSA experience frequent, repeated pauses in breathing during sleep. Some experience hundreds of these in a night.2 And, while the person may be completely unaware of these gaps, their partner will often notice and become alarmed.
During these breathing gaps, people receive less air, which causes their blood oxygen levels to drop. While these levels will generally return to normal once regular breathing starts again, frequent breathing gaps can pose serious health concerns. This is why OSA is something you can’t ignore.
Based on the findings, the doctor may recommend an overnight sleep study, also known as level 1 polysomnography or a home sleep test. Considered the gold standard for the diagnosis of OSA, the test involves connecting you to sensors that monitor your temperature, heart rate, brain waves, breathing rate and depth, nasal and mouth airflow, and body movements during sleep.
The sleeper who suffers from Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) periodically struggles to breathe but is unable to inhale effectively because his or her airway has become blocked or collapsed. The sleeper whose problem is central sleep apnea (CSA) periodically doesn’t breathe at all so oxygen intake is ineffectual. In either type of sleep apnea, the lack of oxygen usually causes the patient to wake up or arouse, at least briefly. The Obstructive Sleep Apnea patient has a mechanical problem, one that almost always can be corrected by a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device.
