What is Obstructive Sleep Apnoea? 

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is a serious medical condition that is more widespread than initially thought. In the UK Obstructive Sleep Apnoea occurs on a similar frequency as Diabetes and double that of severe Asthma.

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) occurs when a person stops breathing while asleep, which can be up to 50 to 60 times per hour. These breathing interruptions, known as “Sleep Apnoea” occur when the airway narrows so much that it closes. If we compare Obstructive Sleep Apnoea to simple snoring, simple snoring is the vibration of the soft tissue in the throat caused by a partial closure of the airway, whereas OSA is caused by the complete closure of the airway.

The closure of the airway causes breathing to stop, which in turn reduces the oxygen level in the blood. The brain reacts to cause a partial wakening. The snorer will often not be aware of this partial wakening during the night. As a result of this sleep fragmentation, many sufferers have excessive daytime sleepiness, resulting in their inability to concentrate, experience marital disharmony and fall asleep at unexpected and inappropriate times. Obstructive Sleep Apnoea makes them at least twice as likely to have a motor accident if they are driving. However, this is not the worst news. Research has demonstrated that the repeated falls in oxygen levels in the blood caused by OSA are linked to the development of high blood pressure, heart disease, strokes and diabetes. The reality is that untreated OSA is a killer and needs to be taken seriously and there are many snorers who simply don’t even know how serious their condition might be.

An OSA sufferer will snore loudly, their partner may tell them that they also stop breathing during sleep and both could find that proper sleep becomes impossible leading to sleepiness and other problems during the day.