SAHS (Sleep Apnea and Hypopnea Syndrome) is the most frequent of respiratory disorders that occur during sleep. It is characterized by the presence of repeated episodes of complete obstruction (apneas) or partial (hypopnea) of the upper airway due to the relaxation of the throat muscles or the existence of one or more narrow areas in the upper airway (from the nose to the glottis).
The apneas cause decrease of oxygen in the blood, which can be very severe, and a small awakening that the sleeper does not perceive, but that allows him to recover normal breathing until the next episode occurs. If this is repeated many times per hour in one night (from 5 to 100), the result is a restless sleep, which the patient notices upon awakening and causes excessive sleepiness during the day, character alterations, irritability, depression, anxiety, loss of memory, difficulty learning and sexual dysfunction.
SAHS can also cause cardiovascular disorders such as high blood pressure, coronary heart disease and heart failure that are a frequent cause of death in the medium to long term in untreated patients.
