Obstructive Sleep Apnoea

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) refers to the condition that leads to intrusions in breathing while sleeping. The word obstructive is used in order to differentiate OSA from the other kinds of sleep apnoea. OSA is more common among men that women. The interruptions that occur can be classified into two types; namely,
Apnoea – this is when the throat muscles relax, resulting in a complete blockage in the airway of the throat. This generally lasts for a spell for 10 seconds.
Hypopnoea – this refers to a fractional blockage in the throat’s airway, reducing the quantity of oxygen that reaches the body. This lasts for about 10 seconds.

Those who have been afflicted by Obstructive Sleep Apnoea usually experience apnoea as well as hypopnoea while sleeping in the night. The insufficient supply of oxygen caused makes the person wake up from his deep sleep into partial or whole wakefulness, so as to restore the normal way of breathing. However after going back to sleep, the same condition may be experienced again and again. Mostly the affected people do not remember their episodes of breathing problems faced in the night, and are not aware of the fact that they are not able to get a good night’s sleep. Improper sleep increases the risk of life-threatening accidents and also developing hypertension.

Symptoms of Obstructive Sleep apnoea

Some of the most common symptoms of this condition are:

• Loud snoring; and breathing becomes noisy
• No remembrance of the episodes of disturbance in sleep
• Lack of proper sleep causes the following symptoms:
• Depression
• Short temper
• Headaches, usually in the mornings
• Irritability
• Poor memory
• Excessive sleepiness during the day time
• Poor level of concentration
• For men, impotency
• Lack of interest in sex

Causes of obstructive sleep apnoea

OSA takes place when the muscles at the back of the throat tend to relax during sleep. Once it relaxes, the throat’s airway narrows down becoming partially or wholly blocked. This distracts the supply of oxygen to the body, prompting the brain to pull the person out of sleep so as to get back the normal pattern of breathing. Even a few episodes of disturbances in the sleep, reduce the amount of deep sleep, leading to an unhealthy mind and body throughout the day.

Risk factors of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea

• Intake of medicines that have a tranquillizing effect
• Being 40 years old or more
• Being male
• Obesity increases the risk of OSA
• Having a large neck can lead to OSA
• The inner neck structure being abnormal
• Some of the other risk factors that are suspected are:
• Consumption of alcohol before bedtime
• Having a family medical history of OSA
• Being in the phase of menopause
• Smoking
• Intake of anti impotence medicines like Viagra
• Complications caused by Obstructive Sleep Apnoea
• The complexities of OSA include:
• Higher blood pressure
• Adverse affects on driving ability