Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with a decreased quality of life ( 1 ) and increased morbidity, particularly an increased risk for driving accidents because of falling asleep or inattention ( 2 ) and cardiovascular disease ( 3 ). However, before sleep apnea can be diagnosed, it must be considered as a possible diagnosis. Clinical presentation and recognition is crucial in considering OSA as an explanation for a group of symptoms and clinical findings. How do patients present when they have OSA? Whom do they go to for evaluation? Are there differences between genders and races? These questions will be addressed in this chapter. These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.