Although sleep apnea occurs in both sexes and among all age groups, it is most often diagnosed in middle-aged men. It may be under-diagnosed in women. About 18 million Americans have sleep apnea. You are more likely to have or develop sleep apnea if you are overweight and snore, have high blood pressure, or have an abnormality in your nose, throat, or upper airway. Genes appear to play a role in sleep apnea, because the condition tends to run in families.

Sleep apnea is graded as mild, moderate, or severe by the number of breathing cessations during an hour. Mild apnea is 10 to 20 times per hour, moderate is 20 to 40 times hourly, and severe is more than 40 times per hour.

The snorting and gasping occur as you resume breathing after a temporary stop. Other symptoms of sleep apnea include snoring, frequent awakenings during the night, a choking sensation during sleep, daytime sleepiness, a morning headache, difficulty focusing attention, memory loss, irritability, and sexual dysfunction.

Although just about everyone with sleep apnea snores, not everyone who snores has sleep apnea. Snoring occurs when air moving through the passages at the back of the mouth and nose is blocked. This area, where the soft palate and uvula meet the tongue and upper throat, can collapse and vibrate during breathing. Besides sleep apnea, common causes of snoring include poor muscle tone in the tongue and throat, caused by alcohol or drugs; too much throat tissue in the form of enlarged tonsils and adenoids; a long soft palate and/or uvula; and a stuffy or blocked nose.

There are two forms of sleep apnea: central sleep apnea and obstructive sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea, in which air cannot flow in or out of a person's nose or mouth, is much more common. In central sleep apnea, the brain fails to send a signal to the breathing muscles to start breathing.

You should not take sleeping pills if you have sleep apnea. You should also avoid consuming alcoholic beverages or smoking before going to bed. Any of these makes the airway more likely to collapse during sleep.

People with sleep apnea are sleepy during the day, and that daytime sleepiness puts them at risk for accidents when driving a vehicle or operating machinery. Over time, the increased pressure in the chest and heart caused by the airway obstruction can lead to thickening of the left ventricle (the heart's main pumping chamber) and, in turn, lead to hypertension and an increased risk of coronary disease. Sleep apnea also decreases a person's quality of life because it affects his or her mental state or mood. Many people with sleep apnea are unaware that they have the condition. Their spouses are the first to suspect that something is wrong, usually from the heavy snoring and apparent struggle to breathe. Co-workers and friends of the person with sleep apnea may notice that the individual falls asleep during the day, particularly at inappropriate times like working or talking. The person with sleep apnea may not believe others when told of the problem.

A doctor may have difficulty diagnosing sleep apnea because there can be many reasons for disturbed sleep. One measurement your doctor may try is called the multiple sleep latency test (MSLT). People without sleep problems usually fall asleep in 10 to 20 minutes. People with a possible sleep disorder may fall asleep in less than 5 minutes. Besides the MSLT, polysomnography also helps diagnose the condition. Polysomnography looks at electrical activity of the brain, eye movement, muscle activity, heart rate, breathing effort, air flow, and blood oxygen levels during sleep.

The treatment of choice for sleep apnea is nasal CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure), a scuba mask-like breathing device that blows a regular stream of air through the nose and throat. This constant flow of air forces the floppy tissues to stay open, resulting in normal breathing. Other types of treatment include behavioral modifications, such as losing weight or using pillows to encourage a person to sleep on his or her side; oral appliances that pull the jaw forward during sleep and prevent the airway from being obstructed; and laser surgery. Some doctors prescribe oxygen for sleep apnea patients, but its use for this condition is controversial. Oxygen does not eliminate sleep apnea or prevent daytime sleepiness. Some people with sleep apnea may need surgery to increase the size of the airway. None of the surgical procedures used is completely successful or without risks. More than one surgical procedure may need to be tried before the patient's condition improves.