Establishing the etymological origin of the term apnea leads us to move to Greek, since it comes from that language. This is made up of the sum of two perfectly delimited parts: the prefix – a which is equivalent to “negation” and the verb pnein that can be translated as “breathe”.
It is called apnea to a disease of the respiratory tract whose symptom is the cessation of breathing for at the least ten seconds. According to its characteristics, this difficulty can be divided into three types: obstructive (determined by a respiratory effort generated by the absence of respiration), central (produced by both lack of effort and the respiratory signal) and mixed (generated from the combination of central apnea with obstructive apnea).
This syndrome has also been defined as obstructive sleep apnea, because it manifests itself while the person who suffers from it is sleeping. For this reason, it is common for those who suffer from this disease to be unable to rest properly since, in the absence of oxygen, the brain is forced to interrupt sleep in order to recover the respiratory rhythm. Morning headaches, pulmonary hypertension and heart problems are some of the ailments caused by apnea.
Excessive drowsiness, chronic fatigue, various respiratory disorders or psychological disorders, such as nervous depression or anxiety, are some of the main symptoms that indicate that a person is suffering from this clinical condition, which is also known as apnea syndrome. -hypopnea during sleep.
However, it should also not be forgotten that there are also cardiovascular symptoms that can warn that someone is suffering from this pathology. Specifically, among them are angina, high blood pressure, cerebral infarction or myocardial infarction.
Apnea treatments include continuous supply of pressurized air (injects air that removes blockage, via a compressor, hose, and mask), mandibular advancement devices (work if the source of the obstruction is the basis of the tongue) and surgeries (an otolaryngologist must consider whether or not surgical intervention is recommended).
And all this without forgetting either that when a patient suffering from apnea undergoes treatment, it is also necessary to comply with a series of basic rules to ensure that said treatment has the expected effect. Among the most important rules are to strictly follow a very healthy and balanced diet in order to lose weight.
In addition to all this, smoking cessation is also required in the event that the person who has apnea has this vice and finally also eliminating the intake of alcohol as well as medications such as sedatives that are used to relax what is the system nervous.
On the other hand, the term apnea has also been used to give name to a sport that is characterized by diving in the depths of the sea with pure lungs, that is, without traditional equipment such as snorkeling. Given its peculiarities, this discipline requires a great power of mental relaxation, good nutrition, optimal hydration, the development of mammalian reflexes in humans and training in anoxic environments.
