What is obstructive sleep apnea?

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common sleep apnea caused by obstruction of the airway. It is characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep. These episodes, called apneas, each last long enough that one or more breaths are missed.

How do members experience obstructive sleep apnea?

Top 5 symptoms reported by people with obstructive sleep apnea*

*Reports may be affected by other conditions and/or medication side effects. We ask about general symptoms (anxious mood, depressed mood, fatigue, pain, and stress) regardless of condition.

Top treatments taken by people for obstructive sleep apnea*

*Data from patients with obstructive sleep apnea, who have ever reported treatments, ordered by their reporting frequency during the last 5 years.

Compare treatments taken by people with obstructive sleep apnea*

Treatment
Perceived effectiveness
Side effects
Total evaluations
Tried for
Treatment

(System One CPAP machine)
Perceived effectiveness
for obstructive sleep apnea (11 evaluations)
Side effects
dry mouth headaches
Total evaluations
11
Tried for
obstructive sleep apnea (8)

*Data from patients with obstructive sleep apnea, who have ever reported treatments, ordered by their reporting frequency during the last 5 years.

Who has obstructive sleep apnea on PatientsLikeMe?

Age

Age Proportion # of patients
<20 4
20s 24
30s 114
40s 296
50s 515
60s 570
70+ 277

Distribution of sex

Sex

Sex Proportion # of patients
Male 613
Female 1,180