Sleep apnoea is a serious sleep disorder involving frequent pauses during breathing. Each pause lasts for a few seconds to a few minutes. Breathing repeatedly stops and starts at night making it a serious sleep disorder.
It is now extremely easy to find a good doctor for its treatment. Just google ‘best sleep apnoea doctors in Sutherland Shire’ and you can select one from the list available in search results.
Types of sleep apnoea
- Obstructive sleep apnoea
It is the most common type of sleep apnoea involving the throat muscles
- Central sleep apnoea
This condition occurs when your brain cannot able to send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing
- Complex sleep apnoea syndrome
This condition is also known as treatment-emergent central sleep apnea, which occurs when the patient is suffering from both obstructive sleep apnoea and central sleep apnoea
Symptoms of sleep apnoea
- Xerostomia
- Gasping for air during sleep
- Loud snoring
- Awakening with a dry mouth
- Frequent headaches
- Insomnia
- Lack of concentration
- Difficulty paying attention while awake
- Fatigue
- Irritability
- Malaise
- Weakness
- Decreased libido
Risk factors
Factors responsible for the condition are as follows:
- Excess fat tissue or obesity is the major risk factor responsible for obstructive sleep apnoea
- Narrowed airway- enlargement of tonsils leads to the obstruction of the airway which in turn causes sleep apnoea
- Male predilection is commonly seen
- Sleep apnoea occurs significantly more often in older adults.
- Using alcohol, tranquilizer and sedatives can worsen the condition
- Chronic smokers are three times more likely to have obstructive sleep apnoea than non-smokers.
- If the person is suffering from nasal congestion then he/she more likely to develop obstructive sleep apnoea
- Congestive heart failure, type 2 diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure, and Parkinson’s disease are some of the medical conditions that may increase the risk of obstructive sleep apnoea. Polycystic ovary syndrome, hormonal disorders, stroke, and chronic lung diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are also responsible for developing the condition.
What Are the Effects of Sleep Apnoea?
Sleep apnoea can increase the risk of various health problems if left untreated, some of them are mentioned below:
- Stroke
- High blood pressure
- Weakness throughout the day
- Cardiac arrest, heart attacks, irregular heartbeats, and heart failure
- Frequent morning headaches
- Depression
- Type 2 diabetes mellitus
- Worsening of ADHD
Treatment
Treatments can include minor changes in lifestyle and daily routines such as losing weight or changing sleep positions, medical devices like CPAP machines, or surgery. Below are some of the changes that you should adopt to treat apnoea.
- Lose weight
- Try to bring change in sleep pattern and sleep positions to improve breathing
- Do not use alcohol and sleeping pills
- Stop smoking. Smoking can increase inflammation and obstruction in your upper airway, which may worsen the condition
Surgical treatment
- Nasal surgery
- Mandibular maxillomandibular advancement surgery
- Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP)
Visit your nearest sleep apnoea doctor in Sutherland shire and take all precautions.