Obstructive Sleep Apnoea

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a common disorder of sleep affecting twice as many men as women. It usually occurs in mid-life, but can affect people at any age. People with OSA experience repeated collapse of their upper airway while asleep, resulting in poor sleep quality and, in some cases, low blood oxygen levels.

Common features

• Obesity (a major risk factor)
• Long-standing snoring
• Stop breathing episodes in sleep, as noticed by the bed partner
• Morning headache and/or dry mouth
• Excessive sleepiness during the day, sometimes including an increased risk of fall-asleep motor vehicle accidents
• Untreated severe OSA may increase the risk of developing high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke and heart disease

Diagnosis

Diagnosis usually involves an overnight sleep study in a hospital. This commonly performed procedure enables doctors to measure your breathing and sleep patterns, as well as your blood oxygen levels while you are asleep, and thus determine the presence and severity of OSA.

Treatment

There are several treatments for OSA. Most patients use a device called continuous positive airway pressure (or, more commonly, CPAP), which is a pump that uses air pressure to splint open the airway at night. In milder cases, avoiding sleeping on your back or a dental splint can be helpful. Weight loss is an important part of the treatment in many, if not most, patients. Surgery for the upper airway is also an option for selected patients.

Central Sleep Apnoea

Central sleep apnoea (CSA) is a disorder in which a person's breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep because the brain temporarily stops sending signals to muscles that control breathing. Unlike obstructive sleep apnoea there is no obstruction or blockage of the upper airway.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of CSA involves an overnight sleep study to detect and measure the severity of the condition.

Treatment

There are several potential treatments for CSA including continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), bi-level positive airway pressure, adaptive servo-ventilation, oxygen therapy, and certain types of medications.

People with central sleep apnoea will be advised by a sleep specialist as to the type of treatment they need following a sleep study.