It is a condition, that makes you stop breathing for short periods while your are asleep. This happens because your throat narrows or closes. People with OSA do not know they stop breathing when they are asleep.
Loud snoring
Tiredness during daytime.
Sleepiness during daytime
Morning headaches
Feeling of inadequate sleep, while waking up in the morning
Trouble thinking clearly or remembering things
Waking up startled up or gasping for breath at night (bed partner will notice the last symptom).
OSA can occur in any patients including adults and some children. But it is more commonly seen in people who are obese or overweight, people who have a thick/short neck, people who have hypothyroidism. People who are prone to develop OSA will have severe symptoms if they also consume alcohol or some sedative medications before sleep.
If your doctor/nurse suspects that you have OSA, they will suggest a “Sleep Study”. This can be done at home or in-hospital. It is done overnight. The study helps to record your sleep pattern, your vital signs including Heart rate, Oxygen levels, snoring and other body functions.
People who have OSA, and who also have other comorbidities like Diabetes, Hypertension, Heart disease will have extremely high risk of developing further complications like heart attacks, stroke and kidney diseases. People who don’t get a good quality sleep at night, will have difficulty in coping up with work and also has a high chance of road traffic accidents.
Treatment includes involvement from both the doctor and the patient.
Accepting Life style modifications:Healthy diet, Brisk walking for at least an hour every day, physical activities, Weight loss, avoiding alcohol.
If patient has hypothyroidism, that should be treated appropriately.
Patients who have severe OSA, with significant risk for complications and significant impact on quality of life, should get treated with Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP).
CPAP is a device that keep your airway/throat open while you are sleeping. People getting CPAP will wear a small mask at night, that keep them breathing. The mask might seem uncomfortable at first, but as they use more regularly, they will feel more rested and generally feel better. Using CPAP helps you keep your blood pressure and sugar under control and also prevents people with OSA from developing complications like Heart attack and stroke.
Surgery in OSA, is only for selected group of patients who has a structural anomaly in their throat. It is not effective when compared to CPAP.
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