Hyderabad: With the World Sleep Day being observed on March 14, it is essential to understand what Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and its implications on people’s health.
World Sleep Day
World Sleep Day is an annual event initiated by the World Sleep Society in 2008. It intends to be a celebration of sleep and a call to action on important issues related to sleep, including medicine, education, social aspects and driving.
It is organised by the World Sleep Day Committee of the World Sleep Society and aims to curb sleep-related issues in society through better prevention and management of sleep disorders.
What is Sleep Apnea
Sleep Apnea is a sleep disorder which causes breathing to stop and start while a person is asleep.
Explaining what OSA is, Dr Viswesvaran Balasubramanian, a pulmonologist from Yashoda Hospital in Hyderabad said, “Obstructive Sleep Apnea is one of the most common sleep-related breathing disorders. When a person goes to sleep, a portion of the upper airway collapses, leading to a decreased level of oxygen being supplied to the body.”
Once the oxygen levels in the body fall, a vibration is caused in the airway which causes snoring. The decreased level of oxygen leads to multiple side effects including impacting the cardiovascular system.
Such issues may make people prone to hypertension, it may also cause irregular heartbeat, also known as arrhythmia.
“The OSA may affect the metabolic systems and impact the blood glucose level. It may also affect a person’s neurological system, thereby increasing chances of stroke,” he added.
The above factors may lead to a disturbed sleep cycle, fatigue and cognitive issues.
Obese men at risk of OSA
The pulmonologist further said, “OSA generally occurs in men who are obese. The chances of OSA increase with age.” In females, OSA occurs in the post menopausal stage.
“Due to the hormonal changes, the upper airway becomes flabby and females with OSA are likely to experience insomnia,” the doctor told Siasat.com.
He further said that women experience difficulties in initiation and maintenance of sleep. Any obese person having symptoms including snoring, arrhythmia, dry snoring and excessive recurring sleepiness, then they must be screened for OSA.
Addressing a query on who is vulnerable to OSA, Balasubramanian said that people who are employed in highly dangerous occupations, including pilots, truck drivers and those who operate high-end security apparatus.
Symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea
Elaborating on symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea, the doctor said that snoring is a major symptom along with arrhythmia and nocturnal awakening, i.e., a person awakening due to breathing issues.
“At times, people suffering from OSA may also have nocturia, i.e., increased urination during the night. Apart from this, the person may also complain of unrefreshing sleep.”
Treatment of obstructive sleep apnea
Stressing on treatment for OSA, Hyderabad-based pulmonologist, Dr Omar Bilal Siddiqui of Femcity Hospital said, “The most affordable treatment for OSA is life style management and dietary habits. Obstructive Sleep Apnea is mostly caused by obesity.”
There is a rare chance of a physically fit person suffering from obstructive sleep apnea. One must opt for a Sleep study, aka Polysomnography, to detect OSA. There are three levels of sleep apnea, mild, moderate and severe,” the doctor added.
As part of the diagnosis, doctors check the hypo-apnea index to understand the number of times a person experiences cessation of breath. “Based on the level of OSA, the patient is suggested to opt for Positive Airway pressure (PAP) therapy, which is further classified into BiPAP or CPAP,” the pulmonologist explained.
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The pap therapy helps in keeping the air ways open and avoid collapse over the night. Siddiqui further explained “Due to the excessive fat around the neck, which is usually observed in obese people, it leads to collapse of the airway. The pap machine releases pressurised air keeping the airway open throughout the night,” Siddiqui added.
The last option is surgery, under which correction surgeries are done on the tonsils, the hard and soft pallet. “For those who suffer OSA, the easiest thing is to lose the weight and reach the normal Body Mass Index (BMI),” the doctor explained.
Inhaler incase of breathing difficulty
In case there is a breathing difficulty, the patient is provided with an inhaler, they must be kept on BiPAP or CPAP while sleeping since the balance of inhalation of oxygen and exhalation of carbon dioxide is disturbed in people suffering from OSA.
This may lead to Obesity Hypo-Ventilation Syndrome due to the narrowing of the airways. The pulmonologist further added that one must have a BMI less than 25 to avoid OSA, “Those with a BMI 25-30 are overweight, as the BMI crosses 30 it may lead to mild, moderate or super obesity (35-40),” Siddiqui explained.
Addressing a query on diet, the doctor suggested a protein-rich and low-carb diet along with exercise,including functional, strength or cardio, with an aim to reduce the weight. In a message to the public, the doctor said, “Obesity is the underlying factor for most diseases, including diabetes, hypertension or OSA. Once we are able to beat obesity, most health issues can be resolved.”
