Clinical Definition
Upper airway resistance syndrome is a sleep breathing disorder in which resistance to airflow in the upper airway occurs and causes increased workload and frequent respiratory effort-related arousals. It is also one cause of daytime somnolence. Unlike obstructive sleep apnea, it does not cause periods of hypoxia or apnea.
In Our Own Words
Upper airway resistance syndrome is not the same thing as sleep apnea, which causes breathing to stop and oxygen levels in the body to drop. Although people who snore may well go on to develop the sleep disruption of UARS or even the drop in oxygen of obstructive sleep apnea, not all snorers have these conditions, and not everyone with these conditions necessarily experiences snoring.
Symptoms and Side Effects
- Daytime sleepiness
- Chronic fatigue
- Snoring
