Sleep apnea can be defined as pauses in breathing and temporary cessation of breath while sleeping. The breathing pauses can last
from a few seconds to a minute. Here are several types of sleep apnea they are, i) Obstructive sleep apnea, ii) Central sleep apnea,
and iii) Mixed sleep apnea. But the most common is obstructive sleep apnea. This type of apnea occurs when your throat muscles intermittently relax and block
your airway during sleep. A noticeable sign of obstructive sleep apnea is snoring. Which is the harsh sound that occurs while
sleeping when the breathing is partially obstructed.
The pharyngeal muscles are of particular importance in respiratory function. Poor pharyngeal muscle responsiveness during sleep is
another physiologic feature contributing to OSA. Inadequate responsiveness of the upper airway dilator muscles during sleep is
recognized by minimal increase in EMG activity to negative pharyngeal pressure
