Everything you need to know about Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA)

Some people may be aware their breathing is not normal at night, particularly if their bed partner notices it. But they may be unaware that it is a medical condition that is causing them to harm if they leave it untreated. Fortunately, effective treatments for sleep apnoea are available.

What is Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA)?

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) or sleep apnoea as most people like to call it, is a condition in which sufferers have repeated episodes of partial or complete obstruction of their upper airways. When these obstructions occur, breathing is reduced or stops for a short time and blood oxygen levels fall as a result. A brief interruption to sleep occurs, allowing breathing to start again. But that brief interruption would have disrupted the sufferer’s sleep, without the sufferer being conscious of it. These obstructive episodes may be as short as 3 seconds, but some last to 1 minute or more. And each episode occurs multiple times, even hundreds of times, through the night.

Some people may be aware their breathing is not normal at night, particularly if their bed partner notices it. But they may be unaware that it is a medical condition that is causing them to harm if they leave it untreated. Fortunately, effective treatments for sleep apnoea are available.

 

How do I know if I have obstructive sleep apnoea?

There are some easy telltale signs of sleep apnoea but there are also some symptoms of sleep apnoea that may not be as obvious. The first and most commonly known symptom is loud, persistent snoring. We’re not talking about the snoring that occurs occasionally when you’ve had one drink too many. We’re talking about the kind of snoring the whole family knows about because everyone can hear it from behind closed doors. The kind of snoring that might be accompanied by a gasping or choking sound from time to time.

Maybe your bed partner has noticed you stop breathing during the night and tried waking you up. You may not even realise you’ve been awakened multiple times throughout the night, but your sleep would be disturbed and you may feel unrefreshed despite having gotten your 8 hours of sleep.

As the day goes on, you may struggle to stay awake, especially in the afternoon. You may find yourself fighting to stay awake during meetings, or even dozing off while driving or watching TV. Morning headaches, grumpiness and reduced brain functioning are also common in untreated sleep apnoea. Some people may also find themselves waking up frequently during the night to urinate, and some people have found it also leads to sexual dysfunction.

 

Sleep apnoea doesn’t just affect you

With loud, persistent snoring being a common symptom in obstructive sleep apnoea, it can keep the bed partner and even people in other parts of the house awake. Some partners even try to stay awake to make sure the sufferer with sleep apnoea starts breathing again after a breathing disruption. Lack of sleep for the sufferer and other members of the household might lead to more irritability and unhappiness.

Someone with untreated sleep apnoea is approximately 21/2 times more likely to have a motor vehicle accident, posing a risk to themselves and others. That is attributed to being excessively sleepy, and the sleep disruption also leads to less alertness, slower reaction times and poorer concentration on the roads. If your job involves operating machinery or driving, your risk of work accidents is also increased. Even if your job is desk-bound, the result of untreated sleep apnoea can also affect your cognitive functioning, which might impact your work performance too.

 

Who is prone to suffer from sleep apnoea?

Unfortunately, obstructive sleep apnoea does not discriminate and can happen to people of all ages, even children. However, it may be more common in middle-aged and older people. Men are slightly more susceptible than women, although after menopause the risk becomes similar. Many people with sleep apnoea also tend to be overweight, as the fatty tissue can cause the throat to be narrower, leading to the airways to be obstructed. But not all sufferers are overweight; some people may be born with a narrow throat, or have a facial structure which leads to narrowing of the throat too. Other risk factors of sleep apnoea include but is not limited to a large neckline, smoking, sleeping pills, alcohol, having a family history of sleep apnoea and having other comorbidities such as heart diseases or high blood pressure.

 

Can sleep apnoea be treated?

The good news is there are very effective treatments for obstructive sleep apnoea. The gold standard treatment is CPAP therapy, a non-invasive treatment which is very safe and effective. CPAP therapy consists of 3 components; a device which draws air from the environment and delivers a positive air pressure via a hose to a mask that you wear when you go to sleep. This positive air pressure being delivered then holds your upper airways open while you sleep so it does not collapse, allowing you to breathe with minimal disruption to your sleep. This has proven to be the most effective in controlling the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnoea and works also immediately for most people. It might take some getting used to CPAP therapy, but you can check out our top tips here.

For those diagnosed with mild obstructive sleep apnoea, there are some other treatment options your doctor may recommend to you. If you are overweight, losing weight may be all you need to alleviate the symptoms of sleep apnoea. If your sleep report has found you have obstructive sleep apnoea episodes only when lying on your back, you might be able to treat your condition with positional therapy. This is a form of therapy to adjust your sleep position so you will always sleep on your sides to prevent your upper airways from collapsing. Some people have also had success with a mandibular advancement splint, fitted by a specialist dentist. This is a mouthguard that holds your jaw forward while you sleep to keep the airway open. Again, this is recommended for those suffering from milder levels of obstructive sleep apnoea.

The last resort for treating sleep apnoea is to have surgery. There are several types of surgical operations available, but they are not usually offered unless all other previously mentioned forms of therapy have not worked.

If you have been diagnosed with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnoea, your best bet is to get started on CPAP therapy. Find out more about the devices available to you here.