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Read articleObstructive sleep apnoea is repeated collapse of the upper airway during sleep, interrupting breathing many times a night. It leaves people exhausted despite a full night in bed, and it worsens blood pressure, diabetes and heart rhythm problems.
Symptoms
Not everyone gets every symptom, and the pattern can differ in older people, in people with diabetes and in children. These are the ones most often reported.
- Loud, habitual snoring
- Witnessed pauses in breathing during sleep, often noticed by the spouse
- Choking or gasping awakenings
- Daytime sleepiness, including while driving or in meetings
- Morning headache and dry mouth
- Poor concentration, irritability and low mood
- Getting up repeatedly at night to pass urine
When to see a doctor
Do not wait these out
If any of the following applies, arrange to be seen the same day. For anything sudden or severe, call 9281862028 or come straight to the emergency department at SIMS — it is open 24 hours and does not need an appointment.
- Falling asleep while driving or operating machinery — this is a safety emergency
- Witnessed pauses in breathing during sleep
- Snoring with high blood pressure that is difficult to control, or with irregular heart rhythm
- Loud snoring with disturbed sleep in a child, along with mouth breathing
Tests that may be advised
Your consultant will order only the investigations that change the plan. Most of the following are available on the SIMS campus, so results usually come back the same visit.
- Sleep study (polysomnography or a validated home study)
- Clinical assessment including neck circumference, body mass index and airway examination
- ENT assessment for nasal blockage, enlarged tonsils or adenoids
- Thyroid function tests
- Blood pressure, blood sugar and ECG assessment
How it is treated
Treatment is decided case by case — by how advanced the problem is, what else you are being treated for, and what you can realistically sustain. Broadly, it involves the following.
- Weight reduction, which can substantially reduce severity
- CPAP therapy during sleep for moderate to severe disease
- Avoiding alcohol and sedatives at night, and sleeping on the side
- Surgical correction of nasal obstruction or enlarged tonsils and adenoids where these are the cause
- Treatment of associated hypertension, diabetes and heart disease
This page is general information, not a diagnosis
Obstructive Sleep Apnoea can look like several other conditions, and the reverse is equally true. Nothing here can replace an examination, your test results and the judgement of the doctor treating you — and no medicine mentioned by name to a friend or relative should be started on the strength of this page. If you recognise yourself in it, book a consultation with the Pulmonology department. If a symptom is sudden or severe, call 9281862028.