Firstly described in 1965, sleep apnea is a potentially life-threatening disorder that is far more common than expected. It is characterized by brief interruptions of breathing during sleep. It owes its name to a Greek word, apnea, meaning "want of breath."

There are two types of sleep apnea: central and obstructive.

Central sleep apnea, is relatively less common. It occurs when the brain fails to send the appropriate signals to the breathing muscles to initiate respirations.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is very common. It occurs when air flow cannot get into or out of the person's nose or mouth despite the effort of breathing continues.

In a given night, the number of involuntary breathing pauses or "apneic events" may be as high as 20 to 30 or more per hour. We have seen a patients stop his own breathing more than 60 times per hours. These breathing pauses usually accompany with snoring. Snoring occurs between apnea episodes. However, not everyone who snores has OSA. Choking or choking sensation is another common symptom for sleep apnea. The frequent interruptions of deep, restorative sleep often lead to early morning headaches and excessive daytime sleepiness.

Early recognition and treatment of sleep apnea is important because it may be associated with irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke. Each single condition can be lethal or causing severe disability.