sleep apnea

[sleep ap-nee-uh]

noun

Pathology.

1. a condition in which breathing is repeatedly interrupted during sleep due to blockage of the upper airway, causing frequent momentary or partial waking: often a result of obesity or neurological impairment and typically associated with sleepiness during the day.

sleep apnea

1. Apnea caused by upper airway obstruction during sleep, associated with frequent awakening and often with daytime sleepiness. It occurs most often in people who are obese or who have an obstructed respiratory tract or neurological abnormalities.

Word History and Origins

Origin of sleep apnea¹

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

And researchers have been discovering a growing list of additional health benefits for the drugs, such as preventing heart attacks, alleviating sleep apnea and treating liver disease.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Orthopaedic surgeons now prescribe them to help patients lose weight before knee surgery, while chest physicians use them for those with sleep apnea, a disorder that blocks the airway during sleep.

Read more on BBC

A thicker neck is a known risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea, a condition in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep.

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New devices can screen for sleep apnea, measure blood pressure without arm cuffs and detect early signs of illness.

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He also suffered multiple health issues — neurogenerative disorder, obstructive sleep apnea, chronic respiratory failure and chronic kidney disease — before his death.

Read more on Los Angeles Times