Obstructive Sleep Apnoea
Obstructive sleep apnoea or OSA is the most common sleep disorders. It has highest incidence in morbidly obese people with BMI more than 35-40 kg/m2.
Its characteristic clinical features include
- loud snoring
- intermittent choking during sleep
- poor sleep
- waking up unfreshened in the morning
- Dry mouth on waking up
- early morning headache in severe cases
- excessive tiredness
- increased sleepiness during daytime
- decrease physical performance
- decreased sexual performance/libido
- low mood/depression
- lack of energy
- excessive urination during the night
It can cause increased risk of hypertension, heart attacks and strokes. Treatment of OSA not only lead to improvement in your symptoms, but also improves your performance and reduces the risk of cardiovascular complications. It can lead to better day time energy, leading to more exercise and weight loss which is, in majority of cases, the reason for sleep apnoea.
The usual treatment for mild sleep apnoea is lifestyle risks modification but in most patients with severe OSA, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) delivered through a mask during the sleep is the most effective treatment. The mask can be of different types, most common masks are nasal cushion/mask (worn on the nose only) and full-face mask (covers nose and mouth). It may take a few trials to determine the best mask for a particular individual. CPAP therapy needs to be used during sleep consistently to get the benefit which can be seen as early as first day or in few weeks. CPAP therapy may be required for life if weight cannot be lost.
Our sleep centre can perform sleep study, offer trial of CPAP therapy, evaluate its effectiveness, and provides long term advice.
