Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that affects millions of Americans. Sleep apnea is cause when you stop breathing, several times, while you are sleeping. This dangerous occurrence falls into two main categories:
1. Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)
2. Central Sleep Apnea (CSA)
The following are the differences of these two forms of sleep apnea.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea is the most common form of sleep apnea. This condition is identified as an obstruction of the air way in one or many different locations. The two main symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnea are drowsiness during day time hours and frequent occurrences of obstructed breathing during the night. At Stanford University’s website, www.stanford.edu , there is a laundry list of associated health ailments linked to sleep apnea. Some of these ailments are listed as loud snoring, morning headaches, high blood pressure, overweight, irritability and many other risks associated with obstructive sleep apnea. Of course, a sleeping partner would be able to pick up on these red flags and alert you as to you possible condition. Your doctor can run an overnight test called the polysomnography to determine if you suffer from OSA.

The other, and rarer, form of sleep apnea is called Central Sleep Apnea. This condition is described by sleepdisorders.about.com as the brain ceasing to tell the body to breathe for moments at a time while you are sleeping. Central sleep apnea is less common but can still have devastating effects. Some symptoms of central sleep apnea are frequent awakenings, being very tired during the day, and short pauses of breathing once or several times a night. This type of sleep apnea can also be tested for by a polysomnography.

If left unattended, these sleep apneas can lead to heart attacks, strokes, impotence, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure and heart disease. These diseases are not death sentences. Whether you have OSA or CSA both conditions can be devastating to your health. Following your doctor’s orders and suggestions can lead you to good nights of hard, comfortable sleep. There are several treatments to sleep apnea depending on the severity. Some mild forms of sleep apnea can be treated through some simple lifestyle and behavioral changes. Some ideas are loosing weight and sleeping on your side. There are also different types of respiratory equipment that can aid in opening up the airways to allow free breathing.

The bottom line is, if you are experiencing some or all of the above mentioned symptoms it is time to take a visit to the doctor. Have him do the polysomnography in order to determine the severity of your disorder and ways to treat it. It’s no fun to be tired all the time. Getting help with this sleep disorder saves you from possible life altering tragedies such as stroke or heart attack. Treatment can lead to consecutive, healthy sleep and proper functionality of body and mind.