Beyond Tired: Recognizing and Treating Sleep Apnea - AI Podcast

Story at-a-glance Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects nearly a billion people worldwide. It causes breathing interruptions during sleep that prevent you from reaching restorative sleep stages Common symptoms include loud snoring, gasping/choking during sleep, morning headaches, daytime fatigue, difficulty concentrating and mood changes that are often mistaken for normal tiredness Risk factors for OSA include age, excess throat tissue, weak throat muscles, structural airway abnormalities and vitamin D deficiency, which affects sleep regulation and quality Untreated sleep apnea leads to serious health complications including cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, cognitive decline, weakened immune function and increased accident risk Treatment options include CPAP therapy, oral appliances, orofacial myofunctional therapy and lifestyle changes like optimizing breathing habits, maintaining healthy weight and adjusting sleep position