Sleep apnea: Normal and blocked upper airways
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Sleep apnea: Normal and blocked upper airways
When you sleep, air normally comes in through your nose or mouth and moves through the airways to your lungs. The blue arrows show airflow in the above illustration.
Illustrations copyright 2000 Nucleus Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. http://www.nucleusinc.com
In sleep apnea, the airway is narrowed or blocked, and air does not move through to the lungs. This results in snoring, gasping, and snorting. The person wakes up and the airway opens. This may repeat many times throughout the night.
Credits
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Jan Ulfberg, MD, PhD - Sleep Disorders |
| Last Updated | July 13, 2007 |
| Last updated: | July 13, 2007 |
|---|---|
| Reviewed By: | Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine, Jan Ulfberg, MD, PhD - Sleep Disorders |
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