Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Alternate Names : Obstructive Apnea
What can be done to prevent the condition?
Weight management can prevent some cases of obstructive sleep apnea. It may be helpful for people with narrow breathing passages to have their tonsils and adenoids removed.
What are the long-term effects of the condition?
Sleep deprivation can lower a person's quality of life and increase the risk for accidents. Up to 50% of the individuals with obstructive sleep apnea have high blood pressure. They are also at increased risk for the following disorders:
arrhythmia, or irregular heart rhythm, which may be fatal
cor pulmonale, a condition in which the heart is so weakened that it cannot pump blood through the lungs
heart attack
pulmonary hypertension, or high blood pressure in the lungs
right ventricular hypertrophy, or enlargement and weakening of the right side of the heart
stroke
What are the risks to others?
Obstructive sleep apnea is not contagious and poses no risk to others.
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