Obstructive sleep apneacauses breathing to stop repeatedly during sleep
Legendary singer-composer, Bappi Lahiri died at a Mumbai hospital on Tuesday night due to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). He had been admitted to the hospital for a month after suffering from multiple health issues. His death due to OSA has brought to the fore the risks of one of the most common sleep-related breathing disorders. Though common, it can cause serious health complications, including high blood pressure and heart trouble, if untreated.
There are three types of sleep apnea, which are obstructive, central and complex. Among these, obstructive sleep apnea is very common ad it happens when something blocks part or all of your upper airway while you sleep, causing loud snoring and daytime tiredness. OSA can affect anyone, including children, but it is most common among older men who are overweight. There are some common symptoms and treatment is usually non-invasive.
What is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)?
Normally, air should flow from the mouth and nose into the lungs at all times, including during sleep. The time periods when breathing stops are called apnea or apneic episodes. In OSA, the normal flow of air is repeatedly stopped, causing breathing to repeatedly stop and start while we sleep. This disorder occurs when the muscles supporting the soft tissues in the throat, such as the tongue, relax.
What are the symptoms?
- Loud snoring
- Restlessness during sleep
- Waking up suddenly gasping, choking
- Trouble getting up in the morning
- Daytime sleepiness
- Breathing interruption during sleep
- Night sweats
- Morning headaches
- As a result of these issues, people may repeatedly wake up during the night, experience morning headaches, forgetfulness and drowsiness, and feel disgruntled or grumpy.
What are the risk factors?
1. Being overweight: Most people with this disorder are overweight.
2. Old age and diabetes: With age, the chances of diabetes and this order occurring can increase. But it appears to level off after the 60s and 70s.
3. Narrow airways: A person with naturally inherited narrow airwaves can also experience this disorder. It can even occur if your tonsils or adenoids swell and block the airway.
4. High blood pressure: People with hypertension commonly experience obstructive sleep apnea. Those who have consistent nasal congestion are twice as likely to have OSA than others.
5. Smoking: People who smoke are more likely to have it.
Does it lead to any complications?
Obstructive sleep apnea can be life threatening if left untreated. It can trigger chronic illnesses like high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, etc. Sleep apnea can lead to other complications that include:
- Sleepiness during the day and trouble concentrating.
- Heart related problems such as heart attack, high blood pressure, unusual heart rhythms, or stroke
- Diabetes
- Eye problems such as glaucoma and dry eye
- Problems with pregnancy like gestational diabetes or low-birth-weight babies
- Complications after surgery
What are the treatment options?
Losing weight - Doctors usually advise weight management to people with OSA.
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) - This device is one of the most common treatments for OSA. It is administered through a face mask worn at night. An air blower forces constant air through the nose or mouth and the pressure is just enough to keep the upper airway tissues from relaxing too much when alseep.
Bilevel positive airway pressure (BPAP) - If CPAP is not found to be effective, then this therapy is advised. BPAP machines have settings that deliver two pressures in response to your breathing to ease any obstruction in
Sleep on your side- Sleeping on the back can make OSA worse, so it is sometimes advised that people with mild sleep apnea try to learn to sleep on their side.
Surgery- If the above two therapies don't work, you should consult a doctor about surgical remedies.
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