apnea (Imran & Khawaja, 19980).
Respiratory and Hemodynamic Effects of Sleep Apnea
Noureddine (1996) states that one of the respiratory consequences of sleep apnea is diminishment of the lungs' oxygen reserves due to a decrease in the oxyhemoglobin saturation in the blood. He further notes that sleep apnea can lead to alveolar hypoventilation as a result of decreased central ventilatory drive and the increased mechanical load on the respiratory system.
The general respiratory-hemodynamic pattern that occurs during sleep apnea has been delineated by the Sleep Apnea Information Clearinghouse (1999) which describes the cyclic stages of the syndrome as beginning with a person falling asleep. At this point, the muscles in the back of the throat, as well as the rest of the body, relaxes.
The relaxed throat muscles then allow the air passage in the throat to constrict or collapse in upon itself and air flow is restricted or blocked. Restricted air flow then causes labored breathing signaled by loud snoring or snorts. A complete closure may be the cause of pauses in breathing rhythm
As these stages in the sleep apnea cycle occur, the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream drops. The body continue
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