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SLEEP APNOEA
BY Andrea Melisa
Dr. Chandimani Undugodage
Consultant respiratory physician
and senior lecturer
Do you suffer from loud snoring and sudden gasps for air in your sleep, and daytime sleepiness? If so, it is likely that you have obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Consult-ant respiratory physician and senior lecturer Dr. Chandimani Undugodage tells us everything we need to know about this common sleep disorder that many of us suffer from… without knowing we do.
Q: What is sleep apnoea?
A: Sleep apnoea is a serious sleep disorder where breathing repeatedly stops and starts. The three types of sleep apnoea include the most common type, which is obstruc-tive sle-ep apnoea (OSA); central sleep apnoea (CSA) and mixed apnoea – a combination of CSA and OSA.
Q: Tell us about OSA and what causes it…
A: Obstructive Sleep Apnoea is the cessation of breathing during sleep due to a temporary closure of the upper airway that carries air to the lungs. Weight gain and obesity, an enlarged tongue or tonsils, deviated septum, sinusitis and allergies are the most common causes of OSA. Based on its severity, OSA can be quantified and classified as mild, moderate or severe.
Q: What are the risks of OSA?
A: An episode of OSA where the throat closes during sleep is comparable to strangulation. It puts you at high risk of developing diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attacks or strokes, impotence and even sudden cardiac arrest.
Q: How is OSA diagnosed and treated?
A: First, a comprehensive sleep assessment or formal sleep study is carried out to monitor breathing, air flow, oxygen levels and heart rate. If the data confirms OSA, it can be treated through continuous positive airway pressure ventilation (CPAP), weight loss or surgery.
The CPAP method utilises a small machine that’s connected to a mask, which is worn while sleeping. This machine produces a jet of air, which forces the airway to open without letting it close. This stops the snoring and the person wakes up feeling refreshed the next morning.
On the other hand, sleep surgery is known to help modify the airway anatomy to treat sleep disordered breathing and must be tailored to the specific needs of each individual patient.
STOP-BANG QUESTIONNAIRE
The STOP-Bang questionnaire is a screening tool for OSA. Its total score ranges from zero to eight and a patient can be classified as an OSA risk based on his or her scores. The higher the score, the higher the risk of OSA. Answer the following questions to check if you might be at risk. STOP-BANG QUESTIONNAIRE The STOP-Bang questionnaire is a screening tool for OSA. Its total score ranges from zero to eight and a patient can be classified as an OSA risk based on his or her scores. The higher the score, the higher the risk of OSA. Answer the following questions to check if you might be at risk.
- Snoring – do you snore loudly?
- Do you often feel tired, fatigued or sleepy during the day?
- Observed – has anyone seen you stop breathing, choking or gasping during your sleep?
- Pressure – do you have high blood pressure?
- Body mass index (BMI) – is your BMI more than 35 kg/m2?
- Age – are you older than 50?
- Neck size – is your neck large?
- Gender – men are more likely to have sleep apnoea than women
