Sleep Apnea
Educational information. Individual clinical review of this presentation by Dr. Ehsan is not yet documented. It does not replace personal medical evaluation.
Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine. Read the original source
MedlinePlus data edition September 26, 2026. Imported September 27, 2026. These dates do not indicate a new clinical review of the article.
Sleep apnea is a common disorder that causes your breathing to stop or get very shallow. Breathing pauses can last from a few seconds to minutes. They may occur 30 times or more an hour.
The most common type is obstructive sleep apnea. It causes your airway to collapse or become blocked during sleep. Normal breathing starts again with a snort or choking sound. People with sleep apnea often snore loudly. However, not everyone who snores has sleep apnea.
You are more at risk for sleep apnea if you are overweight, male, or have a family history or small airways. Children with enlarged tonsils or adenoids may also get it.
Doctors diagnose sleep apnea based on medical and family histories, a physical exam, and sleep study results.
When your sleep is interrupted throughout the night, you can be drowsy during the day. People with sleep apnea are at higher risk for car crashes, work-related accidents, and other medical problems. If you have it, it is important to get treatment. Lifestyle changes, mouthpieces, surgery, and breathing devices can treat sleep apnea in many people.
NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Symptoms, tests and care options
Further reading selected by MedlinePlus. Links open the original organizations’ websites.
- Always Tired? You May Have Sleep Apnea · Food and Drug Administration
- CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) · National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
- CPAP Machines: Tips for Avoiding 10 Common Problems · Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- How to Test for Sleep Apnea: At Home or in a Lab · Harvard Medical School
- Pulse Oximetry · National Library of Medicine
- Sleep Study · National Library of Medicine
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