NORD's
Washington Office
 Read about events on Capitol Hill, funding for rare-disease research, and other topics of interest from NORD's office in Washington, DC.
|
|
|
The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) web site, its databases,
and the contents thereof are copyrighted by NORD. No part of the NORD web
site, databases, or the contents may be copied in any way, including but not
limited to the following: electronically downloading, storing in a retrieval
system, or redistributing for any commercial purposes without the express
written permission of NORD. Permission is hereby granted to print one hard
copy of the information on an individual disease for your personal use,
provided that such content is in no way modified, and the credit for the
source (NORD) and NORD’s copyright notice are included on the printed copy.
Any other electronic reproduction or other printed versions is strictly
prohibited.
The information in NORD's Rare Disease Database is for educational purposes only. It
should never be used for diagnostic or treatment purposes. If you have questions regarding
a medical condition, always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health
professional. NORD's reports provide a brief overview of rare diseases. For more specific
information, we encourage you to contact your personal physician or the agencies listed as
"Resources" on this report.
Copyright 1986, 1987, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2007
Synonyms of Apnea, Sleep
- Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Disorder Subdivisions
- Central Sleep Apnea
- Mixed Sleep Apnea
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea (Upper Airway Apnea)
- Pickwickian Syndrome
General Discussion
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by temporary, recurrent interruptions of breathing (respiration) during sleep. Symptoms of this disorder include periodic wakefulness during the night, excessive sleepiness during the day, and loud snoring during sleep. People with this disorder are frequently overweight. Diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea can avoid serious medical problems that may arise as a consequence of oxygen deprivation in untreated individuals. Sleep apnea occurs in three different forms: obstructive, central, and mixed.
An individual's rate of respiration is regulated by group of nerve cells in the brain that control the rhythm of breathing in response to changing oxygen levels in the blood (respiratory drive). In some apneas, the respiratory drive is abnormal. Obstructive sleep apnea (upper airway apnea), the most common form of sleep apnea, results from the blockage of the respiratory passages during sleep. Affected individuals may struggle to breathe and experience increased respiratory effort. Respiratory drive is unaffected in people with this form of sleep apnea but the blockage prevents them from breathing normally. Obstructive apnea is more likely than central apnea to be associated with snorting and arousal from sleep.
In the rare central sleep apnea, the brain does not send adequate signals to the diaphragm and lungs during sleep, resulting in low respiratory drive. In this form of sleep apnea, breathing stops and does not resume until the oxygen-deprived brain finally sends impulses to the diaphragm and lungs. In infants, central sleep apnea is defined as lasting 20 seconds or more.
Mixed sleep apnea is a combination of improper brain signals and obstruction of the respiratory passages. In some cases, sleep apnea is referred to as "Pickwickian Syndrome." In these cases, obstructive apnea is combined with obesity and an abnormally short neck. Infantile sleep apnea affects children less than one year old, and its cause is unknown. (For more information on infantile sleep apnea, see the Related Disorders section of this report.)
.
Organizations related to Apnea, Sleep
- American Sleep Apnea Association
6856 Eastern Avenue, NW, Suite 203
Washington DC 20012
Phone #: 202-293-3650
800 #: --
e-mail: asaa@sleepapnea.org
Home page: http://www.sleepapnea.org
- American Sleep Association
1610 14th Street NW
Suite 300
Rochester MN 55901
Phone #: 507-287-6006
800 #: --
e-mail: asda@millcomm.com
Home page: http://www.sleepassociation.org/
- Genetic and Rare Diseases (GARD) Information Center
PO Box 8126
Gaithersburg MD 20898-8126
Phone #: 301-251-4925
800 #: 888-205-2311
e-mail: http://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/GARD/EmailForm.aspx
Home page: http://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/GARD
- MUMS National Parent-to-Parent Network
150 Custer Court
Green Bay WI 54301-1243
Phone #: 920-336-5333
800 #: 877-336-5333
e-mail: mums@netnet.net
Home page: http://www.netnet.net/mums/
- Narcolepsy Network, Inc.
110 Ripple Lane
North Kingstown RI 02852
Phone #: 401-667-2523
800 #: 888-292-6522
e-mail: narnet@narcolepsynetwork.org
Home page: http://www.narcolepsynetwork.org
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
P.O. Box 5801
Bethesda MD 20824
Phone #: 301-496-5751
800 #: 800-352-9424
e-mail: me20t@nih.gov
Home page: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/
- National Sleep Foundation
1522 K Street
Suite 500
Washington D.C. 20005
Phone #: 202-347-3471
800 #: --
e-mail: nsf@sleepfoundation.org
Home page: http://www.sleepfoundation.org
- Tri-State Sleep Disorders Center
1275 East Kemper Rd.
Cincinnati OH 45246
Phone #: 513-671-3101
800 #: 800-838-4322
e-mail: ggaz@tristatesleep.com
Home page: http://www.tristatesleep.com
|
|
