Sleep Apnea
According to statistics, sleep apnea is one of the most common chronic disorders affecting humans. The definition of an apnea is a cessation of breathing for ten seconds or more. It is generally associated with snoring, which can occur as a result of blockage in the air passages. There have been found to be two main causes of sleep apnea. They are identified as Central Sleep Apnea and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (Coren, 1996).
Sleep Apnea presents many short term and long term health consequences. Some of the immediate consequences are daytime fatigue, impairment of cognitive functioning, and accidents. The delayed health consequences of sleep apnea can include increased risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, and hypertension. Therefore, it is important to receive the correct type of treatment for sleep apnea. Although many times the symptoms may indicate insomnia, if sleep apnea is misdiagnosed, insomnia medication can aggravate the sleep apnea and suppress respiratory function even more (Lichstein, 1999).