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Sleep Apnea Effects

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Humans need sleep. Sleep is essential to a myriad of proper bodily functions. It effects memory, focus, mobility, and general brain function. If excessively deprived from sleep, individuals will certainly experience adverse health effects, imminent death being one of them (Worthman, 2008). Although many experts disagree on the details of what comprises ‘good’ sleep (hours, environment, noise level, body position etc.) the necessity of sleep is widely accepted (Worthman, 2008). Despite the critical importance of sleep to general health, there remains a large population afflicted by traits that inhibit them from sleeping, or sleeping well. Again, due to the important role of sleep, one would anticipate a decrease in sleep disorders over the …show more content…

Other than the hypoxic episodes, OSA sufferers can experience symptoms such as daytime sleepiness, lack of concentration, and snoring. It is estimated that 3–7% of the middle age population worldwide suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnea (Punjabi, 2008). The long-term effects of sleep apnea can include hypertension, cardiovascular issues, stroke, and sudden death during sleep (Gharibeh and Mehra, 2010). Poor quality of life and general health are additionally self-reported by patients suffering from the effects of sleep disruption from …show more content…

The frequency at which it appears varies from region to region and country to country (Punjabi, 2008). There is also variability within the trait itself, as some individuals experience it while others do not. Additionally, OSA has a hereditable basis as genetic factors like craniofacial structure and average body weight are passed on to offspring. Apart from cultural activities (smoking and alcohol intake) these two genetic components are fundamental when discussing the presence of (or risk factors for) OSA (Nunn et al., 2016). Finally, there also exists a correlation between sleep apnea and reproductive success. At first glance, the deleterious effects of sleep apnea on the human body could lead one to believe that the disorder has no relevance to reproductive success. Terrence Davidson, however, argues that the adverse human susceptibility to OSA is a tradeoff for an adaptation that gave early Homo sapiens great advantage to survive and reproduce. That tradeoff was the anatomical structure for language. “The natural selection pressure for speech and language was so strong that the undesired consequence of OSA was carried forward to modern man” (Davidson, 2003) Therefore, according to Davidson, Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a product of natural selection, because the same structure that makes individuals vulnerable to OSA was selected for in the first ancestors to produce

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