Hypopnea : The Standard to Measure Intensity of Hypopnea
Hypopnea is a breathing disorder in which the flow of air gets obstructed through the respiratory system. In another language Hypopnea is also called under breathing. The measure of intensity of Hypopnea is done by Hypopnea index. This index is the ratio of number of hypopneas to the total hours of sleep taken by the patient. The word Hypopnea comes from a Greek word hypo which means below normal or low. The suffix pnoe refers to breathing. Hypopnea is of many kinds. The categories of Hypopnea are as follows:
1) Bradypnea: This kind of Hypopnea refers to slow and rare rate of breathing.
2) Dyspnea: This Hypopnea is concerned with intense breathing for a very short time.
3) Hyperpnea: It refers to high amplitude of breathing during a normal phase of breathing.
4) Tachypnea: This kind of Hypopnea refers to fast and quick breathing.
5) Oligopnea: This kind of Hypopnea refers to reduction of breathing when the respiratory system becomes weak.
The disorder of Hypopnea generally occurs during sleeping hours. In most cases it becomes a severe sleeping disorder. Sleeping Hypopnea is recognized by continuous stops in a person’s breathing time and respiratory sessions. In this kind of apnea, the person breaths less for a very short time. In anatomical language we can conclude that Hypopnea is a state during which the upper way meets with a collapse and the oxygen level in the blood also gets reduced. For this reason a sleeping person feels difficult to breathe in a normal way. He awakes with every collapse in his breathing. Hypopnea causes hindrance in the normal course of sleeping.
A person suffering from Hypopnea is deprived from normal sleep. Hypopnea index can help to measure the intensity of this disorder in a person. After measuring this disorder one should start doing recommended breathing exercises to overcome breathing disorder of Hypopnea.
