Every night, millions of people around the world suffer from sleep problems such as insomnia or daytime fatigue. In some cases, you can easily fix this with simple habit changes.
However, there are cases when these symptoms may hide something more serious. Like apnea, a disease that affects one in five people, but often these people have no idea. So take a look below at what could be causing your sleep problems.
What is sleep apnea?
Apnea is characterized by a complete cessation of airflow in the lungs. The condition can be induced voluntarily, as is the case with divers who must hold their breath underwater. The problem is that we cannot control it.
Sleep apnea is exactly what happens when your body stops breathing while you sleep without you having any control over the process, which can be dangerous. The disease can pose health risks such as high blood pressure, depression and even death.
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the french study
A recent study in France of more than 20,000 volunteers found that around 3% suffered from a sleep disorder. The problem is that these numbers only reflect people who have already been diagnosed with the problem.
The research eventually revealed that one in five participants had similar symptoms, such as unusual daytime sleepiness and snoring. That is, most likely they had the disease and were unaware of the problem.
Research has also shown that men are more likely to suffer from sleep apnea than women. Another affected group are the elderly. Every second person over the age of 60 is likely to suffer from this disease.
However, the group most affected by the disorder are the obese. Overweight people are twice as likely to get the disease, in which case the risks are even greater.