obstructive sleep apnea

obstructive sleep apnea

noun

Definition of OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA

: sleep apnea that is caused by recurring interruption of breathing during sleep due to obstruction usually of the upper airway especially by weak, redundant, or malformed pharyngeal tissues, that occurs chiefly in overweight middle-aged and elderly individuals, and that results in hypoxemia and frequent arousals during the night and in excessive sleepiness during the day—abbreviation OSA; called also obstructive sleep apnea syndrome