OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNOEA
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Context
- Obstructive Sleep Apnoea, the medical condition has been in the spotlight since Bappi Lahiri’s death.
About OSA
- Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep-related breathing disorder and is characterized by recurrent episodes of complete or partial obstruction of the upper airway leading to reduced or absent breathing during sleep.
- These episodes are termed "apneas" with complete or near-complete cessation of breathing, or "hypopneas" when the reduction in breathing is partial.
Impact
- It leads to a fall in blood oxygen saturation, and a disruption in sleep. Obstructive sleep apnea has been associated with neurocognitive morbidity, as well as a link between snoring and neurocognitive disorders.
- Central sleep apnea: In this, the airway is not blocked but the brain fails to signal the muscles to breathe due to instability in the respiratory control center. Central apnea is related to the function of the central nervous system.
Cause
- Excessive weight, large neck and structural abnormalities reducing the diameter of the upper airway, such as nasal obstruction, a low-hanging soft palate, enlarged tonsils or a small jaw with an overbite.
Symptoms
- Daytime sleepiness, restless sleep, and loud snoring, morning headaches; insomnia; trouble concentrating; mood changes such as irritability, anxiety, and depression;
Aftermath
- If it’s not treated, sleep apnea can cause a number of health problems, including hypertension (high blood pressure), stroke, cardiomyopathy (enlargement of the muscle tissue of the heart), heart failure, diabetes and heart attacks.
- A high frequency of apneas or hypopneas during sleep may interfere with restorative sleep, which – in combination with disturbances in blood oxygenation – leads to negative consequences to health and quality of life.
Treatment
- Conservative treatments like sleeping pils, losing weight, Positive Airway Pressure (PAP) therapy, oral mandibular advancement devices and finally surgery.
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