Apnée

Apnée is a term used in French to refer to a temporary cessation of breathing. In medical contexts it commonly denotes sleep apnea, a disorder characterized by repeated pauses in breathing during sleep. The word apnée is also used in freediving to describe breath-hold or apnea diving. This article summarizes the medical use and briefly notes the diving context.

In sleep medicine, there are three main forms: obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), central sleep apnea (CSA), and mixed apnea. OSA occurs when the upper airway repeatedly collapses during sleep, despite ongoing respiratory effort. CSA results from a deficit in the brain’s drive to breathe, causing pauses with little or no respiratory effort. Mixed apnea begins as central episodes and ends with obstruction.

Common symptoms include loud snoring, witnessed apneas, gasping or choking during sleep, excessive daytime sleepiness, morning headaches, and impaired concentration. Risk factors include overweight or obesity, male sex, aging, craniofacial anatomy, smoking, and alcohol use. Untreated apnea is associated with cardiovascular disease, hypertension, stroke, diabetes, and accidents due to sleepiness.

Diagnosis typically involves nocturnal sleep testing. Home sleep apnea tests and in-laboratory polysomnography monitor breathing, brain activity, heart rate, oxygen saturation, and limb movements. Treatment includes lifestyle changes (weight management, exercise, sleep position) and devices such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or bilevel PAP. Additional options include oral appliances, positional therapy, and, in selected cases, surgery or neuromodulation.

In diving contexts, apnée refers to breath-hold techniques used in freediving. Practitioners train to extend apnea times under safety protocols, with progressive conditioning of the body’s response to carbon dioxide and hypoxia.