SNORING & SLEEP APNOEA

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea

What's Obstructive Sleep Apnoea?

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is a sleep disorder that causes the upper airway to constrict excessively during sleep - sometimes to the point of complete blockage. This process is like holding your breath underwater, leading to a severe drop in blood oxygen levels and disrupted sleep, as your brain strives to keep you awake and breathing.

Symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea has several signs and symptoms, often heard or seen by others long before we recognise them ourselves. It affects both daytime and night-time routines.

During sleep:

• Loud, chronic snoring

• Intermittent pauses in breathing

• Choking or gasping for air

• Restless tossing and turning

• Getting up to pass urine

During the day:

• Morning headaches

• Excessive sleepiness

• Frequent napping

• Difficulty concentrating

It's crucial to understand that not everyone who snores suffers from obstructive sleep apnoea. The diagnosis of sleep apnoea is made only with a polysomnogram or sleep study.

Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea

Treating Obstructive Sleep Apnoea requires a personalised treatment plan factoring in your individual health history, lifestyle, and severity of symptoms.

• Lifestyle modifications such as losing weight, quitting smoking, and limiting alcohol intake. Furthermore, changing your sleep position from lying on your back can alleviate symptoms.

• Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy that involves wearing a mask over your nose and/or mouth while you sleep, which is connected to a machine that delivers air at high pressures to keep your airways open.

• Oral Appliance Therapy which involves custom-fitted dental devices that help keep the airway open.

• In certain complex instances, surgery may be recommended to remove excess tissue from the throat or nose, or to reposition the jaw.