• Do you snore?
• Are you tired all the time?
• Do you have high blood pressure or heart disease?
• Do you experience choking or gasping sensations while asleep?

If you experience any of these symptoms, you may be suffering from a potentially life-threatening disorder called Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA).

OSA is characterized by cessation, or brief pause of breathing, during sleep. Each apnea causes interruptions in normal sleep and may or may not be accompanied by snoring, gasping for breath, or choking sensations. Most people who suffer from sleep apnea are not aware that this occurs at night. Many times it is the spouse who identifies the problem.

	Normal Sleep During normal sleep, the muscles that control the tongue, soft palate, and throat hold your airway open.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea If you have OSA, the airway may become partially or fully obstructed. This is usually associated with loud snoring and cessation of breathing. When your brain realizes it isn't getting enough oxygen, it will alert your body to wake and start breathing again. You are unlikely to remember these awakenings but will feel very tired the following day.

Other symptoms of sleep apnea include (but are not limited to):

• Depression
• Irritability
• Learning and memory difficulties
• Excessive daytime sleepiness
• Night sweats
• Frequent urination
• Falling asleep at inappropriate times

Early recognition and treatment of sleep apnea is critical since undiagnosed sleep apnea can lead to heart attacks, strokes, irregular heartbeats, high blood pressure, heart disease, and impotence.