Snoring & Sleep Apnoea
Snoring is a noise generated from the upper part of our respiratory tract which occurs when there is some degree of obstruction of the tract. Aponea is when the airflow in the respiratory tract stops for a duration of at least 10 seconds. Obstructive sleep aponea is the term used to define the cessation of airflow in the presence of continued respiratory effort.
It is not fully understood why people develop snoring or apneic episodes. Male sex, increasing age and obesity are all associated with increasing incidence and the condition can be exacerbated by alcohol and certain drugs.
What are the indicators that one is suffering from obstructive Sleep Aponea?
- Snoring
- Obstructive episodes
- Personality changes
- Difficulty in concentration
- Frequent waking
- Nocturnal enuresis
- Systemic and pulmonary hypertension
- Strokes
- Excessive day time hypersomnolence
- Morning headaches
- Poor memory
- Abnormal body movements
- Nocturnal choking
- Impotence
- Right heart failure
Causes of obstructive sleep aponea Nasal
- Polyps
- Rhinitis
- Deviated nasal septum
- Nasal mass
Pharynx
- Enlarged adenoids
- Enlarged palatine tonsils
- Retropharyngeal mass
- Receding mandible
- Nasopharyngeal tumours
- Enlarged lingual tonsils
- Large tongue
- Obesity
Larynx
- Tumour
- Shy Dager syndrome
- Edema
Management
- Assessment of general physical condition
- To differentiate between simple sleep aponea and snoring, and to determine the type, severity of aponea oy hypo-aponea
- To assess the site of obstruction
Polsomnography or sleep study – this is the gold standard investigation for the diagnosis of sleep aponea and other forms of sleep related disorders. The tests involves sleeping while a variety.
