Sleep apnea is a common disorder that is characterized by short breaths while sleeping. This sleep apnea can be called obstructive apnea. When the person suffers from apnea the person will not be able to sleep throughout the night and might experience fatigue and dizziness during the daytime. A person suffering from sleeping apnea cannot sleep peacefully because your breath is obstructed many times during the night and the airway provides a lot of resistance to the air. The problem might also cause a drop in oxygen level in the blood leading to uneasiness. The obstruction in breathing can last till about ten seconds often resulting in fatal consequences if not attended properly. Children suffering form this problem also run the risk of heat attacks at this tender age and might even get a stroke. The problem might also lead to high blood pressure.

Snoring is also a common sign of sleep apnea and occurs due to blocked airways. But on the other snoring doesn’t always mean sleep apnea and can be a problem in itself. Mostly fat and obese people suffer from this problem and because obesity is becoming very common among children, sleep apnea too is found largely among children. Most people don’t come to know that they are suffering from sleep apnea and parents might be the ones to notice this problem in their children.

Other common symptoms of sleep apnea include feeling irritable because of the lack of sleep and fighting sleepiness during our day. A feeling of depression usually sets in when a person suffers from apnea and that might even lead to some personality changes. Another problem could be learning disabilities that can adversely affect their academic performance. One of the less common symptoms of sleep apnea is dry throat. Though the presence of all these symptoms doesn’t means sleep apnea so the doctor should be consulted to get the right diagnosis done.

The goal of the treatment for apnea is to restore regular nighttime breathing and relieve snoring and reduce the tendency of daytime sleepiness. We can also work towards reducing apnea by avoiding alcohol as much as possible as it has a tendency of making us feel sleepy. Medicines for children should be carefully chosen so as to take care that they don’t make the children sleepy during the daytime.

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