Not all snoring is created equal

When people are unable to dif­ferentiate between your snore and a locomotive engine or a trumpet that could break down walls, it may not just be a nuisance to your bed and housemates, but it may signal a serious medical condition.

Loud snoring may be a warning that you have Sleep Apnoea, a condition that opens doors to several serious life-threatening complications.

Not every snoring is associated with sleep apnoea and also there may be sleep apnoea without snoring.

Sleep Medicine is no luxury, we need to do everything possible to get good quality sleep, especially when sleep is one of the greatest legal performance enhancing ‘drugs’ known to man.

In sleep apnoea, breathing repeat­edly stops and starts during sleep. It may be as often as 30 times in an hour. This shortchanges our brain of oxygen, and it is a potentially danger­ous sleep disorder.

Types of Sleep Apnoea;

• Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA)

o The commonest by far. Throat muscles relax and block flow of air

• Central Sleep Apnoea

o Brain does not send proper signals to muscles controlling breath­ing

• Complex Sleep Apnoea

What may signal Sleep Apnoea/ What to look out for

• Loud snoring

• Episodes in which you stop breathing during sleep — which would be reported by another person

• Gasping for air during sleep

• Awakening with a dry mouth

• Morning headache

• Difficulty staying asleep, known as insomnia

• Excessive daytime sleepiness, known as hypersomnia

• Difficulty paying attention while awake

• Irritability

• You may just not be able to complete a movie?

• Involved in minor accidents at home, work or even on the road?

Get checked out. Even children may suffer from sleep apnoea.

What increases our chance of devel­oping Sleep Apnoe?

• Excess weight or fat.

• Neck circumference. People with thicker necks might have narrow­er airways.

• A narrowed airway. Tonsils or adenoids also can enlarge and block the airway, particularly in children.

• Being male. Men are two to three times more likely to have sleep apnea than women. However, women increase their risk if they’re overweight or if they’ve gone through menopause.

• Being older. Sleep apnea oc­curs significantly more often in older adults.

• Family history. Having fami­ly members with sleep apnea might increase your risk.

• Use of alcohol, sedatives or tranquilisers.

• Smoking. Smokers are three times more likely to have obstructive sleep apnoea

• Nasal congestion. If you have trouble breathing through your nose — whether from an anatomical problem or allergies — you’re more likely to develop obstructive sleep apnea.

• Medical conditions. Conges­tive heart failure, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes are some of the conditions that may increase the risk of obstructive sleep apnea. Polycystic ovary syndrome, hormonal disorders, prior stroke and chronic lung diseases such as asthma also can increase risk.

What complications may

occur from untreated Sleep

Apnoea

Sleep apnea is a serious medical condition. Complications of OSA can include:

• Daytime fatigue. The repeat­ed awakenings associated with sleep apnea make typical, restorative sleep impossible, in turn making severe day­time drowsiness, fatigue and irritabili­ty likely.

You might have trouble concentrat­ing and find yourself falling asleep at work, while watching TV or even when driving. People with sleep apnea have an increased risk of motor vehicle and workplace accidents.

You might also feel quick-tempered, moody or depressed. Children and adolescents with sleep apnea might perform poorly in school or have be­haviour problems.

• High blood pressure or heart problems. Sudden drops in blood oxygen levels that occur during OSA increase blood pressure and strain the cardiovascular system. Having OSA increases your risk of high blood pressure.

OSA might also increase your risk of recurrent heart attack, stroke and irregular heartbeats, such as atrial fibrillation. If you have heart disease, multiple episodes of low blood oxy­gen (hypoxia or hypoxemia) can lead to sudden death from an irregular heartbeat.

• Type 2 diabetes. Having sleep apnea increases your risk of devel­oping insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

• Metabolic syndrome. This disorder, which includes high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol levels, high blood sugar and an increased waist circumference, is linked to a higher risk of heart disease

• Liver & Kidney problems

• Sleep-deprived room or house mates

• Complications during surgery and also with some medication

Lifestyle modifications that may help

• Lose excess fat. Even a slight weight loss might help relieve constriction of your throat. In some cases, sleep apnea can resolve if you return to a healthy weight, but it can recur if you regain weight.

• Exercise. Regular exercise can help ease the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea even without weight loss.

• Avoid alcohol and certain medicines such as tranquilisers and sleeping pills. These relax the muscles in the back of your throat, interfering with breathing.

• Sleep on your side or abdomen rather than on your back. Sleeping on your belly has many posture related challenges but we may adopt that briefly as we work on definitive treat­ment.

• Don’t smoke.

Diagnosis and Treatment

There is help so if you think you may have sleep apnoea do not hesi­tate to speak to your doctor.

A few questions, examination and Sleep Studies and a diagnoses may be reached and the appropriate treat­ment, advice or support systems put in place.

Yes, the options vary from just lifestyle modifications to the famous CPAP, implants and even surgery BUT do seek help, not only will you feel brand-new when the condition is resolved, you may be saving relation­ships.

……definitely not all snoring is creat­ed equal. Find out about yours.

AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, ENSURE HYGIENE, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI)

Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel

Health Essentials Ltd (HE&W Group)

(dressel@healthessentialsgh.com)

*Dr. Essel is a Medical Doctor with a keen interest in Lifestyle Med­icine, He holds an MBA and is an ISSA Specialist in Exercise Therapy, Fitness Nutrition and Corrective Exercise. He is the author of the award-winning book, ‘Unravelling The Essentials of Health & Wealth.’

Thought for the week (1) – “I am hard pressed to choose the greatest legal performance enhancing drug. Is it good quality Sleep or Exercise?”

By Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel