Awareness on Obstructive Sleep Apneoa
- 12th June 2022
Obstructive sleep apneoa (OSA) mostly remains under-reported. Tackling this hidden sleep disorder is the biggest hurdle and people have low or no awareness they may be experiencing it. For this reason, many with this condition remain undiagnosed. The general assumption that snoring is harmless, and therefore do not consult with their GP or an ENT specialist.
Sleep apnoea has various symptoms, including daytime sleepiness and being easily tired. Many people put this down to an excessive workload. In reality, it can happens due to underlying obstructive sleep apnoea. The most common way to know if you might have sleep apnoea is that your partner notices you stopping breathing whilst sleeping for a few seconds. This pause in breathing is usually followed by a loud breathing in of air sound before breathing returns to normal for a while. These frequent pauses in breathing are known as apnoeic episodes.
Who is prone to sleep apnoea? If you have any of the following:
- Diabetes
- Hypertension
- Large or thick neck
- Being overweight
- High alcohol intake
- Taking sedating medicines
- Hypothyroidism
- Small lower jaw
- Large tonsils
If you are affected with sleep apnoea for any reason, you need to consult with a GP or an ENT surgeon. A common mistake is to ignore poor sleep, which in the long run raises your risk of developing serious conditions such a high blood pressue, heart attacks and strokes.
I offer a service caring for those with suspected or diagnosed sleep apnoea. Surgery can be helpful, along with use of breathing machines and teeth guards. Only an ear nose and throat specialist surgeon will be able to fully examine your upper airway and help pinpoint the cause of your problems. This is carried out at The Saxon Clinic which is an ENT hospital in Milton Keynes.
Examinations are usually conducted by myself, and further tests may be needed by the nationally renowned ResMed centre in London.
Given current circumstances, The Saxon Clinic have employed a variety of measures to ensure safety from Coronavirus for those attending the hospital. Your safety from the ongoing pandemic is our top priority. Hence, you can book your appointment without a second thought to be treated by the best ENT specialist Northamptonshire here in The Saxon Clinic.