Fast Facts About Apnea

Apnea is a term that is given to describe the absence of breathing or the suspension of breathing.  It is a Greek term that is given to the condition where there is no movement of muscles involved in the respiratory system and the volume of the lungs remains the same.  Depending on different conditions of the airways, gas may not be flowing between the lungs and the environment during apnea.

The Condition

Apnea is not something rare and it is something that can actually be achieved forcibly.  You can achieve apnea by simply holding your breath.  Other ways that apnea can be experienced are through mechanical ways (e.g., strangulation), induction by drugs (or intoxication) and it can also manifest itself as a brain disease or through trauma.

Fresh Air

A normal person cannot store much oxygen in his or her body.  It is essential in health and survival and one minute’s duration of apnea can lead to a very severe lack of oxygen that is needed throughout the body via blood circulation.  Brain damage can be induced in as little as three minutes and death is sure to follow after a few minutes more unless proper ventilation is provided within reasonable time.  Amazingly enough, however, in special situations such as hypothermia, longer periods of apnea can be tolerated by the body and without severe consequences.

Apnea Types

There are three types of apnea that you should know about.  They are known as obstructive, central, and mixed apneas.  Obstructive apnea is a common condition in children and it is caused by obstructions in the airway.  These obstructions can be enlarged tonsils or adenoids that can be removed surgically.  This type of apnea happens mostly during sleep because this is the time when the soft tissue at the back of the throat is most relaxed.  Even the healthiest of children can suffer from this condition and its features include snoring, labored breathing, gasping, restless sleep and changes in facial color.  Central apnea happens when part of the brain that controls breathing does not start up at all or does not maintain the pattern or process of breathing properly.  It is the least common form of apnea and its cause is usually associated to something neurological.  One example of this type of apnea is the short pause that occurs before it follows up with a deep sigh.  Mixed apnea is a combination of the aforementioned.  This type of apnea is commonly seen in infants and young children who have abnormal control of their breathing.  This type of apnea occurs whether or not a child is sleeping.

Apnea is quite serious and although it is almost always detected in children, it can carry over and affect people when they are adults as well.  These conditions are dangerous in that they can result in even deadlier medical conditions such as heart disease, depression, and brain damage.  Apnea is one of the most overlooked conditions and is one that should be addressed before anything else, especially in infants and young children.

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