Sleep apnea, a condition that causes obstructions in the airways of some people that can eventually lead to bouts of breathlessness, may be even more damaging than originally thought according to new research.

Australian scientists at the University of New South Wales monitored the brains of men with sleep apnea while they slept to determine what effects the snoring and other symptoms were having on them.

"The findings show that lack of oxygen while asleep may be far more detrimental than when awake, possibly because the normal compensatory mechanisms don’t work as well when you are asleep," says lead author Caroline Rae.

She went on to say that scans of the brain were similar to those who were dying or had experienced a "very severe stroke," because of the effects of reduced oxygen.

Supplements used in conjunction with a plan to reduce obesity may help limit the effects of the condition, according to researchers at Cambridge Health Alliance who say that the weight condition is linked to the onset of sleep apnea.

Another option could be exercises designed to strengthen the tongue and other jaw muscles using certain musical instruments, a therapy that has been credited with increasing oxygen levels to the brain according to research from Italy published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.