Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with snoring is related to several cardiovascular diseases and is a cause of systemic hypertension.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with snoring is related to several cardiovascular diseases and is a cause of systemic hypertension.
New Delhi, Dec 06, 2016: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)— is a sleep disorder that involves reduction in airflow in the presence of breathing effort. It is the most common type of sleep- breathing disorder. It can also cause recurrent episodes of upper airway collapse during sleep.
Obstructive sleep apnea is linked to excessive daytime sleepiness. A completely blocked airway without airflow is called an obstructive apnea. Partial obstruction with diminished airflow is called a hypopnea. A person may have apnea and hypopnea during sleep.
Padma Shri Awardee Dr. K.K Aggarwal, President Heart Care Foundation of India (HCFI) and National President Elect Indian Medical Association (IMA), stated that, “Insufficient breathing due to apnea or hypopnea causes oxygen levels to fall and carbon dioxide to rise. Because the airway is blocked, breathing faster or harder does not help to improve oxygen levels until the airway is reopened. Typically, this requires the person to awaken to activate the upper airway muscles. Once the airway is opened, the person then takes several deep breaths to catch up on his/her breathing. As the person awakens, he or she may move briefly, snort or snore, and take a deep breath. Less frequently, a person may awaken completely with a sensation of gasping, smothering, or choking. Many people with sleep apnea are unaware that they breathe abnormally in their sleep, and all patients underestimate how often their sleep is interrupted.”
The main symptoms of OSA include loud snoring, fatigue, and daytime sleepiness. However, some people have no symptoms. Fatigue and sleepiness have many causes and are often attributed to overwork and increasing age.
Other symptoms may include one or more of the following:
- Restless sleep
- Awakening with choking, gasping, or smothering
- Morning headaches, dry mouth or sore throat
- Waking frequently to urinate
- Awakening unrested, groggy
- Memory impairment, difficulty concentrating, low energy
“Mild lung hypertension is also associated with OSA. Heart blockages are associated with severe OSA but not mild OSA. Night cardiac arrhythmias with OSA are known and therefore all patients with nocturnal cardiac arrhythmias should be evaluated for possible OSA. Treatment of OSA may reduce systemic blood pressure, lung pressure, cardiovascular events and eliminate nocturnal ventricular bradycardia and asystole in many patients with OSA”, added Dr. K.K Aggarwal.
Certain factors increase the risk of sleep apnea.
- Increasing age: Sleep apnea occurs at all ages, but it is more common in middle and older age adults.
- Male sex: Sleep apnea is two times more common in men, especially in middle age.
- Obesity: The more obese a person is, the more likely they are to have sleep apnea.
- Sedation from medication or alcohol interferes with the ability to awaken from sleep and can lengthen periods of apnea (no breathing), with potentially dangerous consequences.
- Abnormality of the airway
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About Heart Care Foundation of India
Initiated in 1986, the Heart Care Foundation of India is a leading National NGO working in the field of creating mass health awareness among people from all walks of life and providing solutions for India’s everyday healthcare needs. The NGO uses consumer-based entertainment modules to impart health education and increase awareness amongst people. A leading example of this is the Perfect Health Mela; an annual event started in 1993 that is attended by over 2-3 lakh people each year. The Mela showcases activities across categories such as health education seminars and check-ups, entertainment programs, lifestyle exhibitions, lectures, workshops, and competitions. In addition to this, the NGO conducts programs and camps to train people on the technique of hands only CPR through its CPR 10 mantra for revival after a sudden cardiac arrest. They currently hold three Limca book of world records for the maximum number of people trained in hands-only CPR in one go. Keeping article 21 of the Indian Constitution in mind, which guarantees a person Right to Life, Heart Care Foundation of India has also recently initiated a project called the Sameer Malik Heart Care Foundation Fund to ensure that no one dies of a heart disease just because they cannot afford treatment.
