Sleep apnea is a disorder that causes a person’s airway to be blocked or narrowed, causing one or more pauses in breathing or shallow breaths during sleep. Common among adults, this condition can be very serious and result in many physical problems. Aside from poor sleep quality and heavy snoring, sleep apnea can cause short-term memory loss, abnormal exhaustion and drowsiness during waking hours, as well as cognitive learning problems. This dangerous condition can increase the risk of heart disease, heart attacks and strokes in otherwise healthy people.
To significantly reduce your risk for these ailments, it is best to seek immediate and long-term treatment. Treatment options for sleep apnea may either be surgical or non-surgical. Less intrusive non-surgical options include the CPAP (continuous positive air pressure) machine in which air is pushed through a nasal mask or simple dental alternatives.
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