Sleep Apnea essays

Sleep Apnea essays Sleep Apnea is a serious potentially condition that is far more common than generally understood. Sleep Apnea is a sleeping disorder by brief Interruptions of breathing during sleep. There are two types of sleep apnea; central and obstructive. Central sleep apnea, which is less common, occurs when the brain fails to send the appropriate signals to the breathing muscles to initiate respirations. Obstructive sleep apnea is far more common and occurs when air can't flow into or out of the person's nose or mouth although efforts to breathe continue. In a given night, the number of involuntary breathing pauses orapnetic events? may be as high as 20 to 30 or more per hour. These breathing pauses are almost always accompanied by snoring between apnea, although not everyone who snores has this condition. Sleep apnea can also be characterized by choking sensations. The frequent interruptions of deep, restorative sleep often lead to early morning headaches and excessive daytime sleepiness. Early recognition and treatment of sleep apnea is important because it may be associated with irregular heartbeat, heart attacks, and a stroke. Sleep apnea occurs in all age groups and both sexes, but is more common in men. I may underdiagnosed in women and possibly young Americans. It has been estimated that as many as 18 million Americans have this disease, along with excessive daytime sleepiness. People most likely to have or develop sleep apnea include those who snore loudly and those who are overweight, or have high blood pressure, or have some, physical abnormality in the nose, throat, or other parts of the upper airway. Sleep apnea seems to run in some families, suggesting a possible genetic basis. Certain mechanical and structural problems in the airway cause the interruptions in breathing during sleep. In some people, apnea occurs when the throat muscles and tongue relax during sleep and partially block the openi ...

The Murder of College Student Katherine Foster

The Murder of College Student Katherine Foster A 47-year-old woman living in a homeless shelter in Jackson, Mississippi has been arrested for a murder that took place in Alabama 28 years ago. Jamie Kellam Letson is being held on $500,000 bond in Mobile for the February 1980 shooting death of her longtime friend Katherine Foster, a student at the University of South Alabama when she was killed. Letson, who was 19 at the time, and the 18-year-old Katherine Foster were friends who grew up together in Pascagoula, Mississippi. On Feb. 23, 1980, Foster was a freshman at South Alabama in Mobile. When Foster went missing, a group of 50 volunteer students searched two days for her near the university and she was found in a wooded area near the campus. No Signs of Assault When she was found, there were few signs of foul play, except for the two bullet holes in her head and the blood underneath her hair. Investigators said her makeup was on, her hair brushed and her clothes neat and clean. There were no bruises on her body or any indication of sexual assault. Five days after the murder, police found a .22 caliber pistol at a nearby pond, but the gun turned out not to be the murder weapon, which has never been found. Few Clues Over the Years Three years after Fosters death, police thought they had another suspect when a university security guard committed suicide. In his home, they found an extensive collection of material related to the Foster case, including the autopsy report, news articles, and poems that the guard wrote about Foster. They also found in his garage a secure room with a mattress in which someone could have been hidden. But investigators determined that Michael Maris, the dead guard, had an alibi for the time of Fosters disappearance and he was ruled out as a suspect. Letson, who has served time for theft and bank fraud, was previously questioned by police in connection with the case  because she was a longtime friend of Foster, but the case had been cold for more than 25 years until recently. Assistant District Attorney Jo Beth Murphree would not tell reporters what evidence led to the arrest of Letson after 28 years.