What is Sleep Apnea?

Obstructive Sleep apnea (OSA) is a problem in which breathing stops for a few seconds many times during sleep due to collapse and blockage of the airways, the breathing tubes of the lungs, in the neck. The brain then sends an alarm signal causing you to wake up and breathing starts again. You may not even be aware that you have woken up as you slip back into sleep again.

Due to these frequent breaks in sleep, you don’t get sufficient relaxation and do not wake up fresh. . You feel sleepy during the day. You are also at risk of getting several diseases that OSA can cause.

Patients who snore or who are overweight are much more likely to have Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

How common is OSA?

Upto 20 in every 100 adults may have Obstructive Sleep Apnea, OSA. Very few are diagnosed and even less get treated. There is gross under-diagnosis and under-treatment.

Who can get Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)?

Those who have one or more of the following:

• Snore during sleep
• Obesity or overweight
• A lower jaw that is shorter than the upper
• Certain shapes of the roof of your mouth (palate) or airway that cause it to collapse
• Large neck or collar size: 17 inches [43 cm] or more in men, and 16 inches [41 cm] or more in women)
• Large tongue
• Large tonsils and adenoids
• Sleeping on your back

Snoring, Obesity and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

Loud snoring is the commonest symptom of OSA. Not everyone who snores has sleep apnea but people who snore and are overweight are more likely to have OSA.

How would I know if I have Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)?

If you have OSA, you usually begin snoring heavily soon after falling asleep.

• The snoring often becomes very loud.
• Snoring is interrupted by a long silent period – this may occur when your breathing stops.
• The silence is followed by a loud snort and gasp, as you struggle to breathe.
• This pattern repeats throughout the night.

Most people with OSA do not know that their breathing starts and stops during the night. Usually, a sleep partner or other family members hear the loud snoring, gasping, and snorting. Snoring can be loud enough to be heard in the adjacent room.

Other Symptoms

• Wake up not feeling refreshed in the morning
• Want to go back to bed again
• Feel sleepy or drowsy at work all day
• Are impatient, or irritable or forgetful
• Fall asleep while reading, or watching TV
• Feel sleepy or even fall asleep while driving
• Have hard-to-treat headaches  in the morning

Other problems that may occur include:

• Depression
• Breathing difficulty
• Difficult to treat high blood pressure
• Leg swelling (if apnea is severe)

How is Obstructive Sleep Apnea confirmed by the doctor?

Your doctor will ask about above symptoms and examine your mouth, neck, throat and chest.

You will need to have a sleep study to confirm OSA. A few wires and sensors are attached to your body to monitor the functioning of brain, heart and lungs while you sleep. This is recorded and  analysed to make the diagnosis. The technician will then give a mask attached to pressure air machine (CPAP) to breathe and slowly increase pressure to prevent blockage of breathing tubes. 

What are the possible hazards and complications of Obstructive Sleep Apnea if it is not treated?

Heart beat problems: attach and failure

• Stroke
• Accidents
• Respiratory complications
• Anxiety and depression
• Poor performance at work or school
• Poor quality of life

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Kolony Clinic is a subspecialty of internal medicine that deals with diseases of the lungs and the bronchial tubes, usually involving the evaluation of the upper respiratory tract (nose, pharynx and throat). This field is also known as chest medicine or respiratory medicine. The Clinic of Pulmonology is closely related to intensive care medicine, as it deals with patients requiring mechanical ventilation.

The clinic offers the best of technology and working environment to ensure the highest standards of patient care. Kolony Clinic has outstanding medical professionals with proven medical expertise in the field of pulmonary medicine and advanced respiratory care, capable of performing complex diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. The clinic offers expertise in diagnosis and management of diseases such as asthma, cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, occupational respiratory diseases, Mycobacterium Avium Complex (MAC) lung disease, pulmonary fibrosis and sleep disorders. 

Dr. Dhaval Darji (MBBS DTDC) is one of the immensely experienced Pulmonologist and specialists in Pulmonary Medicine from Ahmedabad.

AREA OF EXPERTISE:

• Asthma
• Severe Asthma with Fungal sensitisation
• Bronchiectasis
• Bronchitis
• Chronic Cough clinic(state of the art)
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
• Common Cold
• Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
• Pneumonia
• Sleep Apnea
• Spirometry
• Tuberculosis
• Work-Related Asthma
• Allergy

KOLONY CLINIC

15-16, Vishwamitra Complex,

Opp. Kalupur Commercial Bank,

Nr. Sardar Patel Colony,

Stadium Road, Ahmedabad-14.

DR. DHAVAL DARJI

(MBBS DTCD)

Call for appointment: +91 94296 14760, +91 97224 82392

Source :  by KOLONY CLINIC, Stadium Road, Ahmedabad.

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