This improves blood flow to the heart. muscle and relieves symptoms (usually chest pain). Stents are used depending on certain features of the. artery blockage. Factors that affect whether a stent can. be used include the size of the artery and where the. blockage is.
Usually, this gasping or agonal breathing stops within about four minutes, which is why many experts have not recognized this phenomenon so far! Gasping is a survival reflex triggered by the brain and can increase the chances of survival for someone in cardiac arrest.
In this article. Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder that occurs when a person's breathing is interrupted during sleep. People with untreated sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep, sometimes hundreds of times. This means the brain -- and the rest of the body -- may not get enough oxygen.